AP Psychology Unit 2 V2

semantic memory

Explicit memory of facts and general knowledge; one of our two conscious memory systems.

episodic memory

Explicit memory of personally experienced events; one of our two conscious memory systems.

hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit (conscious) memories for storage.

memory consolidation

The neural storage of a long-term memory.

flashbulb memory

A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.

priming

The activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory.

encoding specificity principle

The idea that cues and contexts specific to a particular memory will be most effective in helping us recall it.

mood-congruent memory

Tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood.

serial position effect

Our tendency to recall best the last items in a list initially and the first items in a list after a delay.

interleaving

A retrieval practice strategy that involves mixing the study of different topics.

anterograde amnesia

An inability to form new memories.

retrograde amnesia

An inability to remember information from one’s past.

proactive interference

The forward-acting disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information.

retroactive interference

The backward-acting disruptive effect of newer learning on the recall of old information.

repression

The defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.

reconsolidation

A process in which previously stored memories are potentially altered before being stored again.

misinformation effect

Occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information.

source amnesia

Faulty memory for how, when, or where information was learned or imagined.

déjà vu

The eerie sense that ‘I’ve experienced this before.’

intelligence

The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.

general intelligence (g)

According to Spearman, the underlying ability that measures all mental abilities.

factor analysis

A statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items on a test.

fluid intelligence (Gf)

The ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease with age.

crystallized intelligence (Gc)

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age.

Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory

The theory that intelligence is based on general ability and specific abilities.

savant syndrome

A condition in which a person has an exceptional specific skill despite limitations in mental ability.

grit

Passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals.

emotional intelligence

The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions.

intelligence test

A method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with others.

achievement test

A test designed to assess what a person has learned.

aptitude test

A test designed to predict a person’s future performance.

mental age

A measure of intelligence test performance related to chronological age.

Stanford-Binet

The widely used American revision of Binet’s original intelligence test.

intelligence quotient (IQ)

Originally defined as the ratio of mental age to chronological age multiplied by 100.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

The most widely used intelligence tests that contain verbal and performance subtests.

psychometrics

The scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits.

standardization

Defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores.

normal curve

The bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of attributes.

Flynn effect

The rise in intelligence test performance over time and across cultures.

reliability

The extent to which a test yields consistent results.

validity

The extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to.

content validity

The extent to which a test samples the behavior of interest.

construct validity

How well a test measures a concept or trait.

predictive validity

The success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict.

cross-sectional study

Research that compares people of different ages at the same time.

longitudinal study

Research that follows and retests the same people over time.

cohort

A group of people sharing a common characteristic.

growth mindset

A focus on learning and growing rather than fixed abilities.

fixed mindset

The view that intelligence and abilities are unchangeable.

stereotype threat

A self-confirming concern about being evaluated based on a negative stereotype.