AP Psychology Unit 2: Cognition Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts in AP Psychology regarding cognition.

Perception

The process of interpreting information obtained through the five senses.

Sensation

The raw data or information received from sensory receptors.

Top Down Processing

Interpreting information using prior knowledge and experiences.

Bottom Up Processing

Building perception from sensory input without relying on prior knowledge.

Schema

A mental framework based on past experiences that guides perception and interpretation.

Perceptual Set

A mental shortcut that influences immediate perception based on expectations or emotions.

Select Attention

The process of focusing on a particular stimulus while ignoring other stimuli.

Cocktail Party Effect

The ability to focus on a specific conversation in a noisy environment.

Inattentional Blindness

The failure to notice stimuli in the visual field due to focused attention elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment.

Gestalt Psychology

A theory that explains how humans naturally group elements to form meaningful patterns.

Figure Ground

The principle that describes how we separate objects of focus from their backgrounds.

Binocular Cues

Depth perception cues that require the use of both eyes for accurate judgment.

Monocular Cues

Depth perception cues that require only one eye.

Long Term Potentiation (LTP)

The process that strengthens synaptic connections between neurons as a result of repeated activation.

Explicit Memory

Information that is consciously recalled, requiring effort and thought.

Implicit Memory

Information or skills learned without conscious awareness.

Flashbulb Memory

A vivid and detailed memory of an emotionally significant moment.

Amnesia

Temporary or permanent loss of memory.

Cognitive Bias

Systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.

Heuristic

Mental shortcuts that save time in problem solving but can lead to errors.

Intelligence

The ability to learn from experiences, adapt to new situations, solve problems, and apply knowledge.

IQ (Intelligence Quotient)

A measure of a person’s intelligence as compared to others.

Need for Achievement

The drive to excel, achieve in relation to a set of standards, and strive for success.

The Flynn Effect

The observable phenomenon of increasing IQ scores over time across populations.

Reliability

The consistency of a test's results over time.

Validity

The extent to which a test measures what it is intended to measure.

Context Dependent Memory

Memory retrieval that is improved when in the same environment as the learning.

Retrieval Cues

Stimuli that aid the recall of information from memory.

Serial Position Effect

The tendency to recall the first and last items in a list better than the middle items.

Memory Decay

The process where memories become weaker over time if not used.

Constructive Memory

The idea that memory is not a perfect recording but is reconstructed based on prior knowledge.