AP Psych Cram Sheet Unit 5

Encoding

the processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.

mneumonic

A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.

context dependent memory

The theory that information learned in a particular situation or place is better remembered when in that same situation or place.

storage

the retention of encoded information over time

sensory memory

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

iconic vs echoic memory

Iconic refers to visual memory while echoic refers to auditory memory.

short-term memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten

rehearsal

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

working memory

a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory

long-term memory

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

explicit vs implicit memory

Explicit memory - consciously acting to recall/recognize particular info. Ex. trying to remember a list of words you just saw.

Implicit memory - recalling/recognizing info w/out consciously being aware of doing so. Ex. remembering meanings of words as you read without trying

Retrieval

the process of getting information out of memory storage

serial position effect

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

recency effect

tendency to remember words at the end of a list especially well

flashbulb memory

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event

recognition

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test

Repression

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

encoding failure

failure to process information into memory

proactive vs retroactive interference

Proactive: old info messes up ability to learn new

Retroactive: new info makes it difficult to retrieve older info

retrograde vs anterograde amnesia

- Retrograde Amnesia is the loss of memories from before a traumatic brain injury.

- Anterograde Amnesia is the inability to form new memories after a traumatic brain injury.

critical period

a specific time in development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned (language)

linguistic determinism

Whorf's hypothesis that language determines the way we think

Inborn Universal Grammar

Chomsky opposed Skinner's ideas and suggested that the rate of language acquisition is so fast that it cannot be explained through learning principles, and thus most of it is inborn.

phoneme

smallest unit of sound

Morpheme

in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix)

semantics and syntax

Semantics- deals with the meaning of words and sentences

Syntax- deals with the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

Thinking

changing and reorganizing the information stored in memory to create new information

represenatativeness heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes

avalability heuristic

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

concept

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

prototype

a mental image or best example of a category

belief bias

the tendency for one's preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning, sometimes by making invalid conclusions seem valid, or valid conclusions seem invalid

belief perseverance

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

Barnum effect

People have the tendency to see themselves in vague, stock descriptions of personality (horoscopes, etc)

TAT

a projective test in which subjects look at and tell a story about ambiguous pictures

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

fluid intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event

retrieval cues

stimuli that aid the recall or recognition of information stored in memory

semantic encoding

the encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words

Charles Spearman

creator of "g-factor", or general intelligence, concept

procedural memory

a type of implicit memory that involves motor skills and behavioral habits