Unit 2: Cognition (AP Psych)

Schemas

are mental frameworks that help organize and interpret information based on past experiences.

Assimiliation

is the process of integrating new information into existing schemas without changing the schema.

Accomodation

the process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information.

Algorithms

are structured, step-by-step procedures or formulas for solving specific problems, guaranteeing a solution if followed correctly.

Hueristics

mental shortcuts

Representative Hueristic

a cognitive bias where we judge the probability of an event based on how closely it resembles our existing prototypes or stereotypes.

Availability Hueristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory, often influenced by recent experiences or information.

Convergent Thinking

a type of thinking that focuses on a single, correct solution.

Divergent Thinking

the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Priming

the effect in which a recent experience of a stimulus facilitates or inhibits later processing of the same of similar stimulus

Framing

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

Gamblers Fallacy

the belief that the odds of a chance event increase if the event hasn’t occured recently.

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

a framing effect in which people make decisions about the current situation based on what they have previously investted in the situation

Explicit Memories

memory of fact and experiences that one can consciously know and declare

Episodic Memory

the ability to remember personally experienced events associated with a particular time and place. hippocampus plays a key role.

Semantic Memory

a category of long term memory that involved the recollection of ideas, concepts, and facts. (general knowledge)

Implicit Memories

memory for information that is acquired and expressed uncounciouslt or automatically via facilitated performance on a related task

Procedural Memory

involves motor skills and behaivoral habits

Method of Loci

a mneomic technique that involves associating items on a list with a sequence or familiar physical locations

Retrograde Amnnesia

after brain injury you can’t remember events before

Antergograde Amnesia

after brain injury you can’t form new memories

Context Dependent Mememory

memories easily retrieved when in the same location

Proactive Interence

disruptive effect of prior learning on new information

Retroactive Interence

disruptive effect of new information on prior learning

Misinformation Effect

incorporating misleading information into ones memory

g factor

intelligence is a general ability

mental age

level of intellectual development relative to others

multiple intelligences (gardner)

multiple abilites in different packages. goes with general intelligence

triarchic theory (sterneberg)

three distinct intelligences, instead of one general factor

intelligence quotient

mental age/actual age x 100

contruct validity

degree which a test can actually measure trait/concept

Predictive Validity

predicts future performance

Achievement Test

measures what someone knows

Aptitude Test

predicts how someone will perform in the future

Sterotype Threat

the fear someone gets when they are at risk for confirming negative stereotypes about their social group

Sterotype Lift

when an individual benefits from positive stereotypes about their social group

Flynn Effect

IQ scores over time have generally increased