Cogntive, Testing and Individual Differences

long-term memory

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

sensory memory

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

Encoding

the processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.

primacy and recency effect

the tendency to show greater memory for information that comes first or last in a sequence

anterograde amnesia

inability to form new memories

retrograde amnesia

loss of memories from our 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

Algorithm

A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.

Heuristic

a simple thinking strategy (short cut) that allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms

implicit memory

Memories we don't deliberately remember or reflect on consciously

explicit memory

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

framing effect

The decision-making bias that results from the way a decision, question, or problem is worded

short-term memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly before the information is stored or forgotten. 7 plus or minus 2

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions

rehearsal

the process of keeping information in STM by mentally repeating it

Hippocampus

brain structure in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage

Cerebellum

Brain structure - helps process implicit memory

Priming

the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory

procedural memory

Type of long-term memory of how to do certain things (skills, actions)

episodic memory

A type of long-term memory for your specific events, situations, and experiences (autobiographical)

state-dependent memory

memory retrieval is best when an individual is in the same state of consciousness as they were when the memory was formed (same mood or place)

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information

effortful processing

encoding of information that takes effort and attention

iconic memory

visual sensory memory

echoic memory

auditory sensory memory

Elizabeth Loftus' research on eyewitness testimony

series of experiments reveals that memory can be radically altered by the way an eyewitness is questioned after the fact. New memories can be implanted and old ones unconsciously altered under interrogation.

availability heuristic

making a decision based on the answer that most easily comes to mind (most available in ones memory)

representativeness heuristic

a mental shortcut whereby people classify something according to how similar it is to a typical case

encoding failure

the inability to recall specific information because it was never encoded in the first place

distributed practice

spacing the study of material to be remembered by including breaks between study periods

deep processing

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

shallow processing

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

priming effect

the activation of certain associations, thus predisposing your perception, memory, or response

Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Seven defined types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal

Flynn effect

the phenomenon that shows intelligence test performance has been increasing over the years

Reliability

consistency of measurement

Validity

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

Apptitude test

a test designed to predict a person's future performance

acheivement test

a test designed to assess what a person has learned

normal curve (normal distribution)

a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean (about 68 percent fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes.

Standardization

defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group

stereotype threat

a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype

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