Maintenance Rehearsal in AP Psychology

Definition

Maintenance rehearsal is the process of repeatedly thinking about or saying information to keep it in short-term memory.

Theoretical Perspectives

Maintenance rehearsal is primarily grounded in cognitive psychology, which focuses on mental processes like memory. It emphasizes the repetitive review of information to keep it within working memory.

Study And Research Findings

Research by Craik and Lockhart (1972) suggests that maintenance rehearsal can keep information in short-term memory but is less effective for long-term retention compared to elaborative rehearsal.

Related terms

Elaborative Rehearsal:

This involves relating new information to something you already know, which helps transfer it into long-term memory. It's like connecting new facts to an existing web of knowledge.

Short-Term Memory: This is part of your memory system that stores information temporarily for processing. It's like a small desk where you work on different tasks before storing them away in file cabinets (long-term memory).

Chunking:

This is a strategy used to improve memory efficiency by breaking down large pieces of information into smaller, manageable chunks. It's like cutting up a big pizza into slices so it’s easier to eat.