U5 psyc terms part 1

Intelligence

The mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.

Intelligence test

A method for assessing an individual's mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores.

General intelligence (g)

A general intelligence factor that underlies specific mental abilities and is measured by every task on an intelligence test.

Factor analysis

A statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items on a test, used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person's total score.

Savant syndrome

A condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill.

Grit

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

Emotional intelligence

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

Mental age

A measure of intelligence test performance that corresponds to a given level of performance.

Stanford-Binet

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

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

A score that represents an individual's intelligence relative to the average score of 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 based on their capacity to learn.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

The most widely used intelligence test, containing verbal and performance subtests.

Standardization

Defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a retested group.

Normal curve

The symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes.

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 that is of interest.

Predictive validity

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

Cohort

A group of people from a given period of time.

Crystallized intelligence

Our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills.

Fluid intelligence

Our ability to reason speedily and abstractly.

Intellectual disability

A condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence score below 70.

Down syndrome

A condition of intellectual disability and associated physical disorders caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.

Heredity

The proportion of variation among individuals that can be attributed to genes.

Stereotype threat

A self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype.

Memory

The persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.

Encoding

The processing of information into the memory system.

Storage

The process of retaining encoded information over time.

Retrieval

The process of getting information out of memory storage.

Parallel processing

The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously.

Sensory memory

The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.

Short-term memory

Activated memory that holds a few items briefly.

Long-term memory

The relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system.

Working memory

The conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information.

Explicit (declarative) memory

Memory of facts and experiences that can be consciously known and declared.

Effortful processing

Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.

Automatic processing

Unconscious encoding of incidental information.

Implicit (non-declarative) memory

Retention independent of conscious recollection.

Iconic memory

A momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli.

Echoic memory

A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units.

Mnemonics

Memory aids that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.

Spacing effect

The tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention.

Testing effect

Enhanced memory after retrieving information.

Shallow processing

Encoding based on the structure or appearance of words.

Deep processing

Encoding based on the meaning of words.

Hippocampus

A neural center involved in the processing of explicit memories.

Flashbulb memory

A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

An increase in a cell's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation.

Recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier.

Recognition

A measure of memory in which the person only needs to identify items previously learned.