AP Psych Midterm Review

from the midterm review study guide

iconic memory

iconic memory

momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli, photographic or picture-image lasting no more than a few tenths of a second

forgetting curve

initially rapid then levels off with time

naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

gestalt

tendency to integrate information into meaningful whole (ex. figure-ground, grouping)

sensation

process by which sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

anterograde amnesia

an inability to form new memories

retrograde amnesia

an inability to remember information from one’s past

heuristics

simple thinking strategy, often allows us to make judgements and solve problems more efficiently, faster but more error-prone

representative heuristic

judging the likelihood of events in terms of how well they seem to represent or match particular prototypes, may lead us to ignore other relevant information

availability heuristic

judging likelihood of events based on their availability in memory, if it comes to mind easily, we think events are common

nature vs nurture

do genes or the environment play a bigger role in development

primacy effect

remembering first items in a list after a delay in time

recency effect

tendency to recall the last items in a list best initially (right after the list is given)

serial positioning effect

tendency to recall best the last items in a list initially and the first items in a list after a delay

EEG (electroencephalogram)

amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface, used by placing electrodes on the scalp

kinesthetic

movement sense, system for sensing the position and movement of our individual body parts

vestibular

balance sense, sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance

convergent thinking

narrowing the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution

divergent thinking

expanding the number of possible solutions, creative thinking that diverges in different directions

proactive interference

disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information (previous info interferes with new info)

retroactive interference

disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information

encoding

process of getting information into the memory system

functional fixedness

occurs when prior experiences inhibit our ability to think in novel ways (to find creative solutions)

brocha’s area

language production and articulation

wernicke’s area

language comprehension

amygdala

controls fear and anger emotions

occipital lobe

receives and processes visual information

recall

retrieving information that is not currently in your conscious awareness but was learned at an earlier time (ex. fill-in-the-blank)

recognition

identifying previously learned material (ex. multiple choice)

transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another (in sensation, the transforming of physical energy into neural impulses the brain can interpret)

how senses impact each other

senes can interact and change perception, ex: smell effecting taste

sunk-cost fallacy

sticking to our original plan because time was invested even when switching to a new approach could save us time

chunking

organizing information into familiar, manageable unites, often automatic

semantic memory

explicit memory of facts and general knowledge

episodic memory

explicit memory of personally experienced events

central nervous system

the brain and spinal cord

algorithm

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

medulla

the brainstem’s base, control heartbeat and breathing

APA animal guidelines

researchers must provide “human care and healthful conditions,” testing should “minimize discomfort”

APA human guidelines

obtain participant’s informed consent, protect participants from greater than usual harm/discomfort, keep information about individuals confidential, fully debrief participants afterwards

cerebellum

processes sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, enables nonverbal learning and memory

sleep apnea

stopping breathing repeatedly during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

hippocampus

neural center located in limbic system, helps process explicit memories of facts and events for storage

acetylcholine (ACh)

neurotransmitter, enables muscle action, learning, and memory (in Alzheimer’s, these deteriorate)

effortful processing

encoding that requires action and conscious effort

divided attention

switching selective attention between different tasks

prototype

mental image or best example of a category

effects of alcohol

slow brain activity that controls judgement and inhibitions (disinhibited), increases both helpful and harmful tendencies, slowed neural processing, memory disruption, reduced self-awareness

experiment

research method in which a researcher investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on behavior or mental process

priming

activation of particular associations in memory, often unconscious

parasympathetic nervous system

conserves energy as it calms the body

neuroplasticity

brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, reorganizes after faming or builds new pathways based on experience

independent variable

factor that is manipulated

dependent variable

measure outcome, effect observed