3.1 Intro to cognative

Cognitive Psychology

The study of mental processes such as perception, memory, attention, language, and problem-solving.

Schemas

Mental representations that allow individuals to perceive and understand the world based on their unique experiences.

Information-Processing Model

A model suggesting that humans take in information (input), process it (thinking/memory), and produce output (behavior/decisions), similar to computers.

Introspection

A method of self-observation where individuals report their conscious thoughts and feelings.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach focusing on observable behavior rather than internal mental processes.

Operant Conditioning

A concept developed by B.F. Skinner explaining how rewards and punishments shape behavior.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process discovered by Ivan Pavlov demonstrating how associations between stimuli influence responses.

Vygotsky's Higher Psychological Functions

Complex cognitive processes such as logical thinking and voluntary attention that develop through social interaction and culture.

Jean Piaget's Sensorimotor Stage

Developmental stage from birth to around age 2, characterized by the acquisition of basic motor skills and interaction with the environment.

Maturation (Cognitive Development)

The physical growth process that influences the progression of cognitive abilities during childhood.

Ethical Considerations

Principles guiding research practices to ensure participant dignity, especially concerning confidentiality and informed consent.

Equilibration

The drive to restore cognitive balance when faced with new information that challenges existing understanding.

Attention

The cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other stimuli.

Perception

The process by which individuals interpret and organize sensory information to understand their environment.

Memory

The mental faculty of encoding, storing, and retrieving information.

Chunking

A memory strategy that involves grouping information into manageable units.

Metacognition

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Long-term memory

The phase of memory responsible for the storage of information over extended periods.

Short-term memory

The capacity for holding a small amount of information in an active, readily available state for a short period.

Working memory

A cognitive system for temporarily holding and manipulating information.

Retrieval Cues

Stimuli that help individuals recall information from memory.

Primacy Effect

The tendency to remember the first items in a list better than those that follow.

Recency Effect

The tendency to remember the most recent items in a list better than those that preceded them.

False Memories

Inaccurate recollections of an event that may be distorted or fabricated.

Emotional Memory

Memories that are influenced by personal feelings and emotions.

Cognitive Bias

A systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.

Social Learning Theory

A theory proposing that people learn behaviors through observation and imitation of others.

Problem Solving

The process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.

Heuristic

A simple thinking strategy that helps make quick judgments and decisions.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that confirms one’s pre-existing beliefs.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by internal rewards, such as personal satisfaction or interest.

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation to engage in a behavior due to external rewards or avoid punishment.

Equity Theory

A theory suggesting that individuals assess their relationships in terms of fairness and equity.

Self-Efficacy

An individual's belief in their capability to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.

Stress

A psychological and physical response to challenging or threatening situations.

Resilience

The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

Psychological Disorders

Conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, or mood, impacting daily functioning.

Anxiety Disorders

Disorders characterized by excessive worry or fear affecting daily activities.

Depressive Disorders

Disorders marked by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest.

Personality Disorders

Enduring patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience that deviate from cultural expectations.

Cognitive Dissonance

A psychological phenomenon where conflicting beliefs or behaviors cause discomfort.

Affordances

Opportunities for action that objects or environments provide to an individual.

Conditioned Stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior conditioning.

Unconditioned Response

A natural reaction to an unconditioned stimulus without any training.

Insight Learning

A type of problem-solving that occurs through a sudden realization of the solution.