Psychology test cognition

cognition

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Metacognition

thinking about thinking

concepts

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

prototype

a mental image or best example of a category

Schemas

mental molds into which we pour our experiences

accommodation

process of adjusting a schema and modifying it

Assimilation

Incorporating new information into our current understandings/existing schemas

convergent thinking

determining the single best solution

divergent thinking

expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking)

Executive Functions

cognitive skills that work together, enabling us to generate, organize, plan, and implement goal-directed behavior

Algorithm

logical procedure that goes through every possible solution (takes longer, more precise)

Heuristic

mental short cut (faster more errors)

representative heuristic

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

availability heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory

Gambler's Fallacy

Reasoning that, in a situation that is pure random chance, the outcome can be affected by previous outcomes.

sunk cost fallacy

when we stick to og plan because we have invested our time even when switched could save time

insight

a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or contradictory evidence

functional fixedness

inability to realize that something known to have a particular use may also be used to perform other functions

mental set

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

belief perseverance

tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them

Framing

the way an issue is posed affects decision judgements

recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test, free, no clues

recognition

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

information processing model

encoding, storage, retrieval

Multi-store model

A model of memory that suggests information passes through three stages: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

sensory memory

brief recording of sensory information

short-term memory

brief memory of a few items that is stored or forgotten

long-term memory

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system

working memory

active updated version of maintenance of information in short-term storage

central executive

a memory component that coordinates the activities

phonological loop

briefly holds auditory information

visuospatial sketchpad

briefly holds appearance

maintenance rehearsal

A system for remembering involving repeating information to oneself without attempting to find meaning in it

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.

explicit memory

retention of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare" but have to think about

effortful processing

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

implicit memory

memories that we do not deliberately think about but know

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information

sensory memory

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system usually lasts 3 seconds

ionic memory

a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli

echoic memory

a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli

Chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

mnemonics

any kind of memory system or aid

method of loci

using location to help remember things

spacing effect

information is retained better if there is a longer period of time between sessions or relearning

distributed practice

spacing the study of material to be remembered by including breaks between study periods

massed practice

cramming

shallow processing

encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words like the letters

intermediate processing

phonemic encoding: emphasizes what a word sounds like

deep processing

encoding deeply based on the meaning of the words

episodic memory

memory for one's personal past experiences core memories

memory consolidation

storage process to a long term memory; happens at night

infantile amnesia

the inability to retrieve memories from much before age 3

retrieval cues

Associations like anchors that help retrieve memory

Priming

the activation of particular associations in memory

prospective memory

remembering to do things in the future

context dependent memory

easier to recall info when context is same as when learned

state-dependent memory

easier to recall info when we are again in that "state"

mood-congruent memory

tend to recall memories that are consistent with ones mood

serial position effect

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

primacy effect

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

recency effect

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

anterograde amnesia

an inability to form new memories

retrograde amnesia

an inability to retrieve information from one's past because of a specific event/brain damage

encoding failure

we cant remember it if we never learned it in the first place (names)

Ebbinghaus forgetting curve

lose most info on 1 day after without studying

tip of the tongue phenomenon

know a word but cant recall it but can recall words with similar meanings

proactive interference

prior learning disrupts recall of new information

retroactive interference

new learning disrupts recall of old information

Repression

Defense mechanism by which anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings are forced to the unconscious.

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

Autobiographical memory

memory of particular events from one's own life