Cognitive Psychology and Intelligence Review

These flashcards cover key concepts from cognitive psychology, memory, and intelligence theories, providing a comprehensive review for study preparation.

What is selective attention?

Focusing on one stimulus, which explains phenomena such as inattentional and change blindness.

Define inattentional blindness.

Failing to see visible objects when one's attention is elsewhere.

What is change blindness?

Not noticing environmental changes.

What does perceptual set refer to?

A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.

What is Gestalt psychology?

The theory that we organize sensations into meaningful wholes.

Explain the figure-ground concept.

The process of perceiving an object (figure) as distinct from its background (ground).

What are the grouping principles in psychology?

Organizing stimuli by similarity, proximity, continuity, closure, and connectedness.

What is depth perception?

The ability to judge distance, as demonstrated in visual cliff experiments.

What are binocular cues?

Depth cues that require both eyes, including retinal disparity and convergence.

Name some monocular cues.

Depth cues using one eye, such as relative size, height, and interposition.

Define stroboscopic movement.

Motion illusions created by presenting a series of images in rapid succession.

What does perceptual constancy mean?

Perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in viewing conditions.

What is color constancy?

The perception that familiar objects have consistent color under different lighting.

What does perceptual adaptation refer to?

Adjusting to changed sensory input, such as wearing inverted goggles.

Define cognition.

The mental processes involved in thinking, knowing, and communicating.

What is metacognition?

Thinking about one's own thinking.

Explain concepts in cognitive psychology.

Mental groupings of similar objects, events, or ideas.

What are prototypes?

The best example of a concept.

Who is Jean Piaget?

A cognitive development theorist known for his work on children's schemas.

What is assimilation?

Interpreting new information into existing schemas.

Define accommodation in psychology.

Adjusting schemas to fit new information.

What is creativity?

The ability to produce new and valuable ideas.

What characterizes convergent thinking?

The process of thinking that seeks one correct answer.

What is divergent thinking?

A thought process that generates multiple possible answers.

Who proposed the triarchic theory of intelligence?

Robert Sternberg.

Define executive functions.

Cognitive processes including planning, focus, and self-control.

What is an algorithm?

A step-by-step procedure that guarantees a solution.

What are heuristics?

Simple thinking shortcuts that are faster but may lead to errors.

Define insight in cognitive psychology.

A sudden realization of a solution.

What are cognitive biases?

Barriers to problem-solving, such as confirmation bias and mental set.

What is intuition?

Fast, automatic, and unreasoned feelings.

Who identified representativeness and availability heuristics?

Tversky and Kahneman.

What influences judgment according to cognitive psychology?

Factors like overconfidence, belief perseverance, framing, and nudge.

Define memory.

The persistence of learning through encoding, storage, and retrieval.

What is the Atkinson & Shiffrin memory model?

A model that categorizes memory into sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.

What is working memory?

Active processing of information with a central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad.

What does encoding refer to in memory?

The process of getting information into memory.

What is the forgetting curve?

A concept introduced by Ebbinghaus that describes the decline of memory retention over time.

What is George Miller's contribution to memory?

He proposed that the short-term memory capacity is 7 ± 2 items.

What techniques improve memory retention?

Chunking, mnemonics, testing effect, spacing effect, and deep processing.

Differentiate between explicit and implicit memory.

Explicit memory is effortful and requires conscious thought, while implicit memory is automatic.

What are iconic and echoic memories?

Iconic memory is visual sensory memory, while echoic memory is auditory sensory memory.

What biological processes are involved in memory?

Neurogenesis, long-term potentiation (LTP), and studies by Eric Kandel.

What are semantic and episodic memories?

Semantic memory involves facts, while episodic memory involves events.

What is the role of the hippocampus in memory?

It is crucial for consolidating long-term memories.

Define flashbulb memories.

Highly detailed and vivid recollections of emotional events.

What are retrieval aids?

Techniques that aid in memory retrieval, including priming and mood-congruent memory.

What is amnesia?

A condition characterized by memory loss, which can be anterograde or retrograde.

Differentiate between proactive and retroactive interference.

Proactive interference occurs when old memories block new ones, while retroactive interference occurs when new memories block old ones.

What is the misinformation effect?

When one’s memory of an event is altered by misleading information.

What is déjà vu?

An eerie sense of repetition; may arise from source confusion.

Define intelligence.

The ability to learn, solve problems, and adapt.

What is Spearman's theory of intelligence?

The theory of general intelligence (g) measured through factor analysis of related abilities.

What did Thurstone propose regarding intelligence?

He identified several primary mental abilities.

What does Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory encompass?

The combination of fluid and crystallized intelligence.

Who is Howard Gardner and what is his theory?

A psychologist known for proposing the theory of multiple intelligences.

Define savant syndrome.

A condition in which a person has limited mental ability but possesses an exceptional skill.

What is grit?

Passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

Define emotional intelligence.

The ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions.

Who was Binet and what was his contribution?

He created the first test of mental age, later adapted into the Stanford-Binet IQ test by Terman.

What are the WAIS and WISC tests?

Intelligence scales created by Wechsler for assessing adult (WAIS) and child (WISC) intelligence.

What is psychometrics?

The field concerned with the measurement of psychological traits.

What are the three main aspects of psychological test evaluation?

Standardization, reliability, and validity (content, construct, predictive).

Describe the normal curve in intelligence testing.

A bell-shaped distribution of scores; the Flynn effect refers to rising IQ scores over time.

What is the difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal studies?

Cross-sectional studies examine different age groups at one time, while longitudinal studies follow the same group over time.

What does the term cohort refer to?

A group of individuals sharing a common characteristic, often related to age.

Explain Carol Dweck's growth mindset concept.

The belief that abilities and intelligence can develop with effort.

What is Steven Pinker's stance on intelligence?

He argues that both nature and nurture shape intelligence.

Define stereotype threat.

Awareness of negative stereotypes that can harm performance.