AP PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 2: Cognitive Psychology Set II

cognition

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

prototype

a mental image or best example of a category. matching new items to a prototype provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories

creativity

the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

convergent thinking

narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution

divergent thinking

expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking that diverges in different directions)

algorithm

a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. contrasts with the usually speedier- but also more error-prone- use of heuristics

heuristic

a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms

confirmation bias

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

mental set

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

representative heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information

availability heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability of memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common

belief perseverance

clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

framing

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgements

phoneme

in a language, the smallest distinctive sound unit

morpheme

in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix)

grammar

in a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others

linguistic determinism

Whorf’s hypothesis that language determines the way we think

aphasia

impairment of language, usually caused by left-hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding)

Broca’s Area

controls language expression- an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech

Wernicke’s Area

controls language reception- a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe