ap psych unit 6

parallel processing

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously

memory

the persistence of learning over time

encoding

getting information into the brain

storage

retaining encoded information

retrieval

getting encoded information back out

sensory memory

the brief/immediate recording of sensory information

short term memory

activated memory that holds information briefly

long term memory

relatively permanent/limitless storehouse of memory system

working memory

newer understanding of short term memory

explicit memory

memory of facts/experiences that one can know and declare

effortful processing

encoding that requires conscious effort

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information

implicit memory

retention independent of conscious recollection

iconic memory

momentary sensory memory of a visual stimuli

echoic memory

momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli

chunking

organizing items into units, often automatic

mneumonics

memory aids

spacing effect

tendency for distributed study to yield better long term retention

testing effect

enhanced memory after retrieving information, not just rereading it

shallow processing

basic level encoding based on appearance of words

deep processing

encoding semantically based on meaning of words

hippocampus

neural center in limbic system

flashbulb memory

clear memory of an emotionally significant event/moment

long term potentiation

increase in cells’s firing after brief stimulation, the neural basis for learning and memory

recall

measure of memory requiring the retrieval of information

recognition

measure of memory that involves identifying previously learned items

relearning

measure of memory that assesses time saved when learning material again

anterograde amnesia

inability to form new memories

retrograde amnesia

inability to retrieve information from one’s past

proactive interference

disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information

retroactive interference

disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information

repression

basic defense that blocks traumatic memories from consciousness

misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into memory and then believing it

source amnesia

attributing the wrong source to an event

deja vu

thinking you’ve experienced something before when you really haven’t

cognition

all mental activities such as thinking, learning, and remembering

concept

a mental grouping of similar things

prototype

a mental image/best example of a category

creativity

ability to produce novel/valuable ideas

convergent thinking

narrows down possibilities to find the single best solution

divergent thinking

expands the number of possible solutions to a problem

algorithm

methodical procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem

heuristic

simple thinking strategy that allows us to solve problems efficiently

insight

the sudden realization of a problem’s solution

confirmation bias

tendency to search for information that supports our opinion

mental set

tendency to approach a problem in one particular way

intuition

effortless thought or feeling

representativeness heuristic

judging likelihood in terms of how well it matches a certain prototype

availability heuristic

estimating likelihood based on availability of events in memory

overconfidence

tendency to be more confident than correct

belief perseverance

clinging to your initial conceptions even after being discredited

language

our words and how we combine them to create meaning

phoneme

smallest distinctive sound unit in language

morpheme

smallest unit in language that carries meaning

grammar

rules of language

babbling stage

starts around 4 months old, baby spontaneously utters random sounds

one word stage

1-2 y/o, child speaks mostly single words

two word stage

starts around 2 y/o, child mostly speaks in 2 word statements

telegraphic speech

early speech stage where child mostly uses nouns and verbs

aphasia

the impairment of language, usually due to a damages brocas/wernickes area

brocas area

in the left frontal lobe, controls language expression

wernickes area

in the left temporal lobe, controls language reception

linguistic determinism

whorf’s hypothesis that language determines how we think

intelligence

mental quality based on problem solving, learning, and using knowledge

intelligence test

method to assess mental aptitude

general intelligence

a general mental ability that underlies multiple specific skills, including verbal, spatial, numerical and mechanical

factor analysis

statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items

savant syndrome

when a person with limited mental ability is exceptional at a certain skill

grit

passion and perseverance in pursuit of goals

emotional intelligence

the ability to manage, perceive, and use emotions

mental age

age that typically corresponds to performance

stanford-binet

the revision of binet’s original intelligence test

intelligence quotient (iq)

mental age divided by chronological age x 100

achievement test

test designed to assess what someone has learned

aptitude test

test to predict future performance

wechsler adult intelligence scale (wais)

most widely used intelligence test, has verbal and nonverbal subtests

standardization

defining uniform procedures based on pretests

normal curve

bell curve, even distribution

reliability

how consistent test results are

validity

the extent that a test measures what its supposed to

content validity

the extent that a test samples the behavior of interest

predictive validity

the success that a test predicts what its designed to

cohort

group of people from a given time period

crystallized intelligence

accumulated knowledge/verbal skills, increases with age

fluid intelligence

ability to reason quickly/abstractly, decreases during late adulthood

intellectual disability

limited mental ability, IQ less than or equal to 70

down syndrome

mild to severe intellectual disability, extra copy of chromosome 21

heritability

proportion of variation attributable to genetics

stereotype threat

self confirming concern that you will be judged based on bad stereotypes

cross sectional study

research that involves multiple groups of people at the same time

illusory correlation

perceiving a relationship among variables but none exists

confounding variable

a third, unaccounted for variable that could skew the results of a study

scatterplot

a graph of the relationship between two variables

pet scan

an image made using positron emission tomography, in color

endorphins

neurotransmitters linked to pain and pleasure

plasticity

the ability of the brain to adapt and change over time

thalamus

sensory switchboard in the brain

learned helplessness

helplessness that is learned when unable to avoid repeated adverse events

sleep apnea

when breathing starts and stops during sleep

mirror neurons

in the frontal lobe, fire when performing/watching certain actions, can enable empathy