More flashcards of AP PSYCH unit 7

flashbulb memory

clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event

encoding

processing of information into the memory system- for example, extracting meaning

storage

retention of encoded information over time

retrieval

process of getting information out of memory storage

sensory memory

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

short-term memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing 7 plus or minus 2

long-term memory

relatively permanant and limitedless storehouse of the memory system

working memory

newer understanding of short-term memory that involves conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequence

effortful processing

encoding that requires attention conscious effort

rehearsal

conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage

spacing effect

tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice

serial position effect

our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list

visual encoding

encoding of picture images

acoustic encoding

encoding of sound, especially the sound of words

semantic encoding

encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words

imagery

mental pictures; powerful aid to effortful processing

mnemonics

memory aids; like vivid imagery

chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

iconic memory

momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli

echoic memory

momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; sounds can be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds

long-term potentiation (LTP)

increase in synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation

amnesia

loss of memory

implicit memory

retention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called procedural memory.)

explicit memory

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare"

hippocampus

located in limbic system and helps process short term memory into long term memory

recall

measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier. Example: essay or fill in the blank

recognition

measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned. Example: multiple choice

relearning

memory measure that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time

priming

activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory

mood-congruent memory

tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood

proactive interference

disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information

retroactive interference

disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information

repression

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event.

source amnesia

attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined

parallel processing

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, doing many things at once

maintenance rehearsal

The process of repeatedly verbalizing or thinking about a piece of information.

elaborative rehearsal

A memory technique that involves thinking about the meaning of the term to be remembered, as opposed to simply repeating the word to yourself over and over.

primacy effect

This is the tendency for the first items presented in a series to be remembered better or more easily, or for them to be more influential than those presented later in the series.

declarative memory

It refers to memories which can be consciously recalled such as facts and events.

procedural memory

A type of long-term memory of how to perform different actions and skills. Essentially, it is the memory of how to do certain things. Also called implicit memories

episodic memory

A category of long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations and experiences.

state dependent memory

Learning that takes place in one situation or "state" is generally better remembered later in a similar situation or state.

decay theory

The act of forgetting something as the memory fades with time

Herman Ebbinghaus

He was a German psychologist who pioneered the experimental study of memory, and is known for his discovery of the forgetting curve and the spacing effect. He was also the first person to describe the learning curve.

Elizabeth Loftus

She is an American psychologist and expert on human memory. She has conducted extensive research on the misinformation effect and the nature of false memories.

memory

the mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing previous experiences.

cognition

all the mental activities associated with memory, thinking and language

concept

a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people

prototype

a mental image or best example of a category

algorithm

a precise rule (or set of rules) specifying how to solve some problem

heuristic

a shortcut used to solve problems

insight

A cognitive form of learning involving the mental rearragnment or restructuring of the elements in a problem to achieve an understanding or the problem and arrive at a solution

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions

fixation

the inability to see a problem from a new perspective, by employing a different mental set

mental set

a tendency to approach a problem in a particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past

functional fixedness

the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving

representative heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to match our prototypes; may lead one to ignore other relevant information

availability heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind, we presume such events are common

overconfidence

total certainty or greater certainty than circumstances warrant

belief perseverance

clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

intuition

instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes)

framing

formulation of the plans and important details

language

the mental faculty or power of vocal communication

phoneme

(linguistics) one of a small set of speech sounds that are distinguished by the speakers of a particular language

morpheme

smallest unit of meaning in a language

grammar

studies of the formation of basic linguistic units

semantics

the study of language meaning

syntax

the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

one-word stage

the stage in speech development, from about age 1 to 2, during which a child speaks mostly in single words

two-word stage

beginning about age 2, the stage in speech development during which a child speaks mostly two-word statements

telegraphic speech

early speech stage in which a child speaks like a telegram--'go car'--using mostly nouns and verbs and omitting 'auxiliary' words

linguistic determinism

Whorf's hypothesis that language determines the way we think

Noam Chomsky

United States linguist whose theory of generative grammar redefined the field of linguistics (born 1928)

B.F Skinner

pioneer of operant conditioning who believed that language development is determined by our past history of rewards and punishments

Benjamin Whorf

Concept of "liguistic determinism" or how language impacts thought

creativity

the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

psychogenic amnesia

a form of amnesia which occurs in otherwise healthy people. involves loss of important personal information (functional amnesia)

context effect

putting yourself back in the context where you experienced something

Fugue state

characterized by a loss of memory of one's past and identity

Retrograde amnesia

loss of memory of past events

anterograde amnesia

inability to form or store new memories

muscle memory

your memory for motor skills. automatic processing

cerebellum

part of the brain where the forming and storage of implicit memories occurs