Cognitive Psychology - Exam 1

3 main characteristics of cognitive psychology

study of mental processes, scientific and evidence based, variety of methods (behavioral or neuroscientific methods)

Word-pair memory demo

Pairing words with imagery were more likely to imagine more word pairs, simple repetition did not noticeably improve memory

Metacognition

knowledge understanding about own cognitive processes; often inaccurate

Painting style experiment

found that mixed method of studying painting styles was more effective for identifying new painting

Interleaving

technical term for mixed learning; very beneficial when learning differences between different types of materials

Two facets of metacognition

monitoring and control

Inaccurate metacognition

people tend to overestimate their skills and abilities

Above-average effect

optimistic, can lead to overconfidence; 93% of US drivers think they are above average drivers

Dunning-Kruger effect

Degree of overestimation is greater for people with lower skill in specific area

Fluency

the degree of ease one experiences when processing information

Planning fallacy

Imagining ideal scenarios

When are metacognitive judgments poorer?

low exam scores, estimating exam scores, when information is still fresh, high fluency, easy study methods

How to improve metacognition

fluency ≠ learning, objective measures to assess learning, delayed testing

Most effective strategies for learning

practice testing, distributed practice

Less effective strategies for learning

re-reading and highlighting, summarizing, mnemonics or imagery

What factors influence failures to retrieve information?

decay (gone), interference (similar infor), lack of effective retrieval cues

Forgetting curve

calculated saving score = (initial repetitions - relearning repetitions) / initial repetitions -> quantified what he could recall -> forgetting curve (right graph)

Stages of memory

encoding, storage, and retrieval

Spaced (distributed) learning

focus on repetition (effective repetition) over time vs. massed learning AKA cramming

Retrieval practice

also known as “practice testing”; deliberately recalling what you want to learn without using notes etc., retrieving knowledge tests learning and retention (testing effect)

“Do’s” for making flashcards

supplement with other study methods, simple and easy information, make your own, one prompt per card, say answers out loud, study in both directions, make within the same day (fresh info)

“Don’ts” for making flashcards

not well suited for learning high order information, don’t use flashcards as notes, don’t stop studying after multiple successful retrievals

What makes quality of encoding better?

preview information and use deep, elaborative

Deep processing

learn better when yo you fuc on what you were learning, you’ll learn words better when thinking about their meaning as opposed to their visual appearance

Elaborative processing

Making new connections between information improves memory, two types of linking

Types of elaborative linking

elaborative rehearsal, maintenance rehearsal

procrastination

Voluntarily and unnecessarily deciding to delay a task despite intention to complete that task and knowing there will be future negative consequences for that delay

What increases likelihood of procrastination?

low conscientiousness, high impulsivity, high perfectionism, mental health challenges

Steel’s temporal motivation theory

↑ expectancy & value = increased motivation

↑ impulsiveness & delay = lower motivation

Sirois short term mood-repair theory

Theory: coping with negative affect associated with procrastination/not wanting to do it; failure of emotional regulation

Cognitive psychology

how people remember, pay attention, and think