APpsych 2.1 & 2.2

bottom up processing

using sensory info to build perception (data → brain)

top down processing

using experience or expectations to interpret info (brain → data)

selective attention

focusing on one thing while ignoring others

cocktail party effect

hearing your name in a noisy room

inattentional blindness

missing something obvious when focused elsewhere

change blindness

not noticing changes in a scene

perceptual set

mental expectation that influences what we see

schema

mental framework organizing info

gestalt

seeing things as whole forms, not parts

binocular cue depth

cues needing both eyes

depth perception

seeing the world in 3d

convergence

eyes turn inward for close objects

retinal disparity

slight difference between eyes gives depth

monocular cue

depth cue from one eye

relative clarity

hazy = farther away

relative size

smaller = farther away

texture gradient

blurry texture = distant

linear perspective

lines converge = depth illusion

interposition

object blocking another looks closer

sensory adaptation

less sensitivity after constant exposure

habituation

stop responding after repeated exposure (brain level)

sensation

detecting stimuli

perception

interpreting sensory info

context

surroundings affect perception

figure and ground focus

(figure) vs background (ground)

proximity

close things grouped together

similarity

similar things grouped together

closure

fill in gaps to see a whole

perceptual constancy

same object even if appearance changes

apparent motion

illusion of movement (like flipbook)

visual cliff

test of infant depth perception

cognition

mental processes like thinking and remembering

concept

mental category grouping similar items

prototype

best example of a concept

schema

mental plan organizing info

assimilation

fit new info into old schema

accommodation

change schema for new info

convergent thinking

thinking that leads to one correct answer

divergent thinking

thinking that produces many creative ideas

functional fixedness

can’t see new uses for objects

fixation

getting stuck on one way of thinking

algorithm

step-by-step method that always works

heuristic

mental shortcut that’s faster but error-prone

mental set

solving problems same old way

representative heuristic

judging based on how it fits a stereotype

availability heuristic

judging based on what easily comes to mind

metacognition

thinking about your thinking

creativity

producing new and valuable ideas

executive function

planning, focus, and self-control skills

insight

sudden “aha!” solution

confirmation bias

favoring info that supports existing beliefs

gambler’s fallacy

believing random events will “even out”

intuition

gut feeling or automatic thinking

overconfidence

thinking you’re more right than you are

sunk-cost fallacy

keep investing because you already have

belief perseverance

sticking to beliefs even after being proven wrong

framing

wording changes how choices are perceived

priming

exposure to one thing affects response to another

critical thinking

analyzing info instead of just accepting it