Unit 5 - memory/learning

self-control

ability to inhibit an impulse to act

behavioral modification

shaping behavior through rewards and punishments

Biofeedback

technique you use to control some of your body's functions, such as your heart rate, breathing patterns and muscle responses.

memory

the persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information

effortful processing

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings

explicit memory

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare"

implicit memory

retention independent of conscious recollection

Recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

recognition

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test

relearning

a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

Cerebellum

A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.

shallow processing

encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words

deep processing

encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention

parallel processing

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.

working memory

a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory

short-term memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten

sensory memory

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system

iconic memory

a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second

echoic memory

a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds

longterm memory

Stores indefinitely, capacity limitless

Includes storage AND retrieval

procedual memory

- implicit memory that involves motors skills

flashbulb moment

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event

long-term potentiation

an increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.

Emotions

signals that tell your mind and body how to react

emotional arousal

like a crisis control center, the autonomic nervous system arouses the body in a crisis and calms it when danger passes

retrieval cues

Stimuli that are used to bring a memory to consciousness or into behavior

mood congruent

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood

serial position effect

our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list

Chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

mnemonics

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

spacing effect

the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice

testing effect

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information

hierarchy

A group organized by rank

anterograde amnesia

an inability to form new memories

retrograde amnesia

an inability to retrieve information from one's past

proactive interference

the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information

retroactive interference

the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information

misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event

source amnesia

attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined

Mental Sets

barriers to problem solving that occur when we apply only methods that have worked in the past rather than trying new or different strategies

intuition

an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

belief perseverance

clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

representativeness heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information

availability heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common

Overconfidence

the tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.

Framing

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.

convergent thinking

narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution

divergent thinking

expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking that diverges in different directions)

expertise

specialized skill or technical knowledge; know-how; expertness

imaginative thinking

the ability to see things in novel ways

venturesome personality

seeks new experiences, tolerates ambiguity and risk, and perseveres in overcoming obstacles

intrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

creative environment

sparks, supports, and refines creative ideas

Ebbinghaus

created the forgetting curve and serial position effect in memory

Wolfgang Kohler

considered to be the founder of Gestalt Psychology

Elizabeth Loftus

Her research on memory construction and the misinformation effect created doubts about the accuracy of eye-witness testimony

Chompsky

says that children are born with a knowledge of the principles of the grammatical structure of all languages, and this inborn knowledge explains the success and speed with which they learn language