AP PSYCH UNIT 2 VOCAB

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Selective Attention

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to see visible objects when attention is directed elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment.

Top-down Processing

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes.

Bottom-up Processing

Analysis that begins with sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration.

Gestalt Principles

Psychological principles that organize sensory information into meaningful wholes.

Figure-ground

Organizing the visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from surroundings.

Depth Perception

Ability to see objects in three dimensions.

Binocular Cues

Depth cues that depend on the use of two eyes.

Monocular Cues

Depth cues available to either eye alone.

Perceptual Constancy

Perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in sensory input.

Cognition

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

Concept

A mental grouping of similar objects, events, or people.

Prototype

A mental image or best example of a category.

Algorithm

A methodical, logical rule that guarantees solving a problem.

Heuristic

A simple thinking strategy for solving problems quickly.

Insight

A sudden realization of a problem's solution.

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to search for information that confirms one's beliefs.

Fixation

Inability to see a problem from a new perspective.

Mental Set

Tendency to approach problems in a familiar way.

Intuition

An effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging likelihood based on how well something matches prototypes.

Availability Heuristic

Estimating the likelihood of events based on memory availability.

Overconfidence

Tendency to be more confident than correct.

Belief Perseverance

Clinging to beliefs despite contrary evidence.

Framing

How an issue is posed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.

Memory

Persistence of learning over time through encoding, storage, and retrieval.

Encoding

The processing of information into the memory system.

Storage

Retention of encoded information over time.

Retrieval

Process of getting information out of memory storage.

Sensory Memory

Immediate, very brief recording of sensory information.

Short-term Memory

Activated memory that holds a few items briefly.

Long-term Memory

Relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system.

Working Memory

A newer understanding of short-term memory involving active processing.

Automatic Processing

Unconscious encoding of incidental information.

Effortful Processing

Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.

Mnemonics

Memory aids, often using vivid imagery and organizational devices.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units.

Spacing Effect

Distributed study yields better long-term retention.

Testing Effect

Enhanced memory after retrieving rather than rereading information.

Deep Processing

Encoding semantically, based on meaning.

Shallow Processing

Encoding on a basic level, such as structure or sound.

Explicit Memory

Memory of facts and experiences one can consciously know and declare.

Implicit Memory

Retention independent of conscious recollection.

Hippocampus

Neural center that helps process explicit memories.

Cerebellum

Processes implicit memories and classical conditioning.

Amygdala

Involved in emotion-related memory formation.

Flashbulb Memory

A clear memory of an emotionally significant event.

Recall

Retrieving previously learned information.

Recognition

Identifying items previously learned.

Relearning

Learning something more quickly the second time.

Priming

The activation of associations in memory.

Mood-congruent Memory

Tendency to recall experiences consistent with one's mood.

Serial Position Effect

Tendency to recall first and last items in a list best.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to form new memories.

Retrograde Amnesia

Inability to retrieve past memories.

Proactive Interference

Old information interferes with new learning.

Retroactive Interference

New information interferes with old memories.

Repression

Basic defense mechanism to banish anxiety-arousing thoughts.

Misinformation Effect

Incorporating misleading information into one's memory.

Source Amnesia

Attributing an event to the wrong source.

Intelligence

Mental quality consisting of the ability to learn, solve problems, and adapt.

General Intelligence (g)

Spearman's term for a general intelligence factor.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method to identify clusters of related items.

Savant Syndrome

A person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill.

Emotional Intelligence

Ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions.

Intelligence Test

Method for assessing an individual's mental aptitudes.

Aptitude Test

Test designed to predict a person's future performance.

Achievement Test

Test designed to assess what a person has learned.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

Most widely used intelligence test.

Standardization

Defining meaningful scores by comparison with a pretested group.

Reliability

Extent to which a test yields consistent results.

Validity

Extent to which a test measures what it's supposed to.

Content Validity

Extent to which a test samples the behavior of interest.

Predictive Validity

Success with which a test predicts future performance.

Crystallized Intelligence

Accumulated knowledge, increases with age.

Fluid Intelligence

Ability to reason speedily and abstractly, decreases with age.

Heritability

Proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes.

Stereotype Threat

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