AP Psychology - Unit 2 Vocabulary - Vocabulary #3

vocab test on 11/18/24

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. also referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning

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

Semantic Memory

explicit memory of facts and general knowledge; one of two conscious memory systems

Episodic Memory

explicit memory of personally experienced events; one of two conscious memory systems

Hippocampus

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit (conscious) memories — of facts and events — for storage

Memory Consolidation

the neural storage of a long-term memory

Flashbulb Memory

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event

Priming

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

Encoding Specificity Principle

the idea that cues and contexts specific to a particular memory will be most effective in helping us recall it

Mood Congruent Memory

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

Serial Position Effect

our tendency to recall the best items in a list initially (a recency effect) and the first items in a list after a delay (a primary effect)

Anterograde amnesia

an inability to form new memories

Retrograde Amnesia

an inability to remember information from one’s past

Proactive (forward-facing) Interference

the forward-facing disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information

Retroactive (backward-facing) Interference

the backward-acting disruptive effect of newer learning on the recall of old information

Repress

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

Reconsolidation

a process in which previously stored memories, when retrieved, are potentially altered before being stored again

Misinformation Effect

occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information

Source Amnesia

faulty memory for how, when, or where information was learned or imagined (as when misattributing information to a wrong source). source amnesia, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false memories

Deja Vu

that eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before.” cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience

Correlation Coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1.00 to +1.00)

Intelligence

the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations

General Intelligence (g)

according to Spearman and others, underlies all mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test

Factor Analysis

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person’s total score