COGNITIVE APPROACH BTEC KEY TERMS TABOO answers

Computer analogy

The human brain can be compared to a computer with input, processing, and output stages.

Information processing

Behaviour can be understood in terms of information flowing through the cognitive system in a series of stages.

Capacity

The amount of material that can be kept in a memory store.

Duration

Length of time material can be kept in a memory store.

Encoding

The process of converting information from one form to another so it can be stored and passed between different memory stores.

Long-term memory (LTM)

Permanent memory store with unlimited capacity to store memories for a lifetime.

Short-term memory (STM)

Limited capacity memory store; retains 5-9 items for about 30 seconds without rehearsal.

Sensory memory

Memory store for each of the 5 senses; huge capacity with brief duration.

Cue

A ‘trigger’ that allows us to access material in memory.

Recall

The act of retrieving something from a memory store without cues.

Recognition

A form of memory retrieval where you identify something based on previous experience.

Confabulation

Adding details to a memory to fill in gaps and make it meaningful.

Rationalisation

Distorting parts of a memory to fit into a schema, making it more meaningful.

Reconstructive memory

The process where pieces of stored information are reassembled during recall.

Schema

Mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing.

Shortening

Leaving out part of a memory so that what remains is shorter.

Associative priming

We associate a stimulus more quickly because we encountered a paired stimulus earlier.

Cognitive priming

Processing a stimulus more quickly when we see or hear it first.

Repetition priming

Processing a stimulus more quickly because we encountered it earlier.

Semantic priming

Processing a stimulus more quickly because we encountered a stimulus with the same meaning earlier.

Cognitive scripts

Information stored in memory that describes typical behaviours in a given situation.

Person perception

Information stored in memory about which personality traits often go together, guiding our impressions of others.

Cognitive bias

Errors in how we process information, affecting our attention, memory, and decision making.

Confirmational bias

Paying more attention to information that supports existing beliefs and ignoring contradictory information.

Fundamental attribution error

Downplaying the role of the situation when explaining others' behaviours and focusing on personal characteristics.

Hostile attribution bias

Assuming that someone else’s behaviour has an aggressive motive when it is actually neutral.