ap psychology unit 2 : cognition

tried the ai feature for the first time, idk if its good or not 😭

Selective Attention

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus while filtering out other stimuli.

Cocktail Party Effect

The ability to focus on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, like having a conversation in a crowded room.

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to see visible objects when attention is focused elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment.

Distracted Driving

Driving while engaged in other activities like texting, which significantly increases accident risk.

Perceptual Set

A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another based on experience.

Gestalt Psychology

The theory that people tend to organize clusters of sensations into a whole (gestalt) rather than perceiving individual sensations.

Figure-Ground

The organization of the visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (background).

Depth Perception

The ability to perceive the distance of objects and the three-dimensional characteristics of the environment.

Monocular Cues

Depth cues available to either eye alone, such as linear perspective and relative size.

Binocular Cues

Depth cues that depend on the use of both eyes, like retinal disparity.

Stroboscopic Effect

The perception of motion produced by a rapid series of slightly varying images.

Phi Phenomenon

The illusion of movement created when two or more lights blink on and off in close succession.

Perceptual Constancy

The ability to perceive objects as unchanging even when illumination and retinal images change.

Working Memory

An active processing system that holds and manipulates information in consciousness.

Explicit Memory

Long-term memory that involves the retention of facts and experiences that one can consciously know.

Implicit Memory

Non-declarative memory that involves retention of learned skills or classically conditioned associations without conscious recollection.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units to enhance memory retention.

Mnemonics

Memory aids that use vivid imagery and organizational devices to enhance memory.

Effortful Processing

Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort, such as studying.

Long-term Memory

The relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system.

Short-term Memory

Activated memory that temporarily holds a few items (5-9) before the information is stored or forgotten.

Sensory Memory

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

Flashbulb Memory

Clear, sustained memories of emotionally significant moments or events.

Retrieval Cues

Bits of information associated with a memory that aid in its retrieval.

Priming

The activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory.

Encoding Specificity Principle

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

Serial Position Effect

Our tendency to best remember the items at the beginning and end of a list.

Motivated Forgetting

The process of forgetting information that is too painful or stressful, often through repression.

Amnesia

Memory loss, often due to brain damage or injury.

Anterograde Amnesia

An inability to form new memories after a trauma.

Retrograde Amnesia

An inability to recall past memories formed prior to a trauma.

Source Amnesia

Impaired memory for how, where, or when information was learned despite good memory for the information itself.

False Memories

Memories that people recall when they actually did not occur, influenced by external factors.

The Flynn Effect

The observed rise in average intelligence test scores over time.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

A numerical score derived from standardized tests designed to measure intelligence.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to reason and think abstractly, which tends to decrease with age.

Crystallized Intelligence

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills which generally increase with age.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively.

Savant Syndrome

A condition where an individual demonstrates profound abilities in a specific area despite limitations in other areas.

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Robert Sternberg's theory that intelligence consists of three parts: analytical, practical, and creative.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for information that supports one’s preconceptions and ignore contradictory evidence.

Framing Effect

The way an issue is presented that can impact decision-making.

Divergent Thinking

The process of generating many unique solutions in response to a problem.

Convergent Thinking

The process of narrowing down multiple solutions to find the single best option.

Heuristic

A simple thinking strategy that allows for quick judgments and problem-solving, but does not guarantee a solution.

Algorithm

A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees a solution to a problem.

Cognitive Processing

All mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Schema

A concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

Prototype

A mental image or best example of a category.

Creativity

The ability to produce ideas that are both novel and valuable.

Executive Functioning

Mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks.

Mindset

The established set of attitudes held by someone, influencing their beliefs and behaviors.

Neural Plasticity

The ability of the brain to change continuously throughout an individual’s life.

Long-Term Potentiation

An increase in a cell's firing potential after rapid stimulation, key to learning and memory.

Memory Consolidation

The process of stabilizing a memory trace after its initial acquisition.

Rehearsal

The conscious repetition of information to improve memory retention.

Context-Dependent Memory

The improved recall of specific episodes when the context present at encoding is also present at retrieval.

Mood-Congruent Memory

The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current mood.

State-Dependent Memory

The improved recall of information when in the same state as when it was learned.

Test-Retest Reliability

The consistency of a test over time when the same test is administered on two occasions.

Content Validity

The extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest.

Predictive Validity

The success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict.

Normal Curve

The bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes.

Implicit Memory System

Involves memory for skills and conditioned responses which are retrieved without conscious effort.

Explicit Memory System

Involves memory of facts and events that require conscious effort for retrieval.

Psychometrics

The field of study concerned with the theory and technique of psychological measurement.

Misinformation Effect

When misleading information distorts memory of an event.

Belief Perseverance

Clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.

Functional Fixedness

The tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; a hindrance to problem-solving.

Cognitive Bias

Systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.

Dunning-Kruger Effect

The cognitive bias in which people with low ability overestimate their own ability.

Caffeine's Effects on Memory

Caffeine can enhance memory performance and processing speed.

Neuroscience of Memory

The scientific study of the biological mechanisms underlying memory.

Socioeconomic Factors in Intelligence

Economic conditions affecting educational opportunities and cognitive development.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs.

Hindsight Bias

The common tendency for people to perceive events as having been more predictable after they have happened.