Untitled Flashcards Set

What is cognitive psychology?

The study of mental processes like perception, memory, attention, and decision-making.

What was the goal of structuralism?

To break down mental processes into basic components.

Who is associated with functionalism, and what was its focus?

William James; it focused on how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment.

Which founding father of psychology aligns with modern evolutionary psychology?

William James.

What was the cognitive revolution?

A shift in psychology in the 1950s-60s emphasizing internal mental processes over behaviorism.

What is cognitive neuroscience?

The study of brain structures and functions related to cognition.

What is neuropsychology?

The study of brain injuries and cognitive deficits to understand brain function.

What does an EEG measure?

Electrical activity in the brain.

How do fMRI and PET scans measure brain activity?

Both rely on blood flow.

Which brain imaging technique relies on X-rays?

CAT scans.

Which brain imaging method uses magnetic fields to create images?

MRI.

What is perception?

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

What is the difference between a distal stimulus and a proximal stimulus?

Distal stimulus = the actual object in the world; proximal stimulus = the sensory input received.

What does the Gestalt Law of Pragnanz state?

We perceive the simplest, most organized shape possible.

What does the Law of Similarity state?

We group similar objects together in perception.

What does the Law of Proximity state?

We perceive objects that are close together as part of the same group.

What is inattentional blindness?

Failure to notice something in a scene when attention is focused elsewhere.

What is the Cocktail Party Effect?

The ability to focus on one conversation in a noisy environment while still detecting personally relevant stimuli (like your name).

What is the Stroop Effect?

Automatic reading of words interferes with naming the color of the ink.

What is divided attention?

The ability to perform multiple tasks at once, often leading to reduced performance.

Which metaphor is often used to describe visual attention?

A spotlight.

What is dichotic listening?

A task where participants listen to different messages in each ear and must attend to only one.

What is shadowing in dichotic listening?

Repeating one audio stream while ignoring another.

What is the difference between top-down and bottom-up processing?

Top-down = using prior knowledge to interpret stimuli. Bottom-up = processing based on raw sensory input.

What is feature analysis in perception?

A theory stating we recognize objects by breaking them down into distinct features.

What is template matching theory?

The idea that we recognize objects by comparing them to stored mental templates.

What is prototype matching?

Recognizing objects by comparing them to idealized prototypes.

What is geon theory?

A theory that we recognize objects by combining basic 3D components (geons), similar to phonemes in language.

What are the three main stages of memory?

Encoding, storage, retrieval.

What is the Modal Model of Memory?

A theory proposing three memory stores: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM).

Which type of memory has large capacity but brief duration?

Sensory memory.

What is short-term memory (STM)?

A memory store that holds information for about 20-30 seconds with a capacity of 7 ± 2 items.

What is working memory?

A more active version of short-term memory that involves manipulating information.

What is long-term memory (LTM)?

A memory store with unlimited capacity and duration.

What is episodic memory?

Memory for personal experiences.

What is semantic memory?

Memory for facts and general knowledge.

What is procedural memory?

Memory for skills and habits (e.g., riding a bike).

What is the difference between explicit and implicit memory?

Explicit memory = conscious recall (facts, events). Implicit memory = unconscious recall (skills, priming).

What is the forgetting curve?

Ebbinghaus’ theory that memory retention declines rapidly at first but then levels off.

What is maintenance rehearsal?

Repeating information to keep it in short-term memory.

What is elaborative rehearsal?

Connecting new information to existing knowledge to enhance long-term memory storage.

What is retrieval failure?

The inability to access stored information due to lack of proper retrieval cues.

What is encoding failure?

Information was never properly stored in memory in the first place.

What does the patient H.M. reveal about memory?

He could learn new skills (procedural memory) but could not form new episodic or semantic memories (anterograde amnesia).

What is the best memory strategy for recall?

Associating new information with what you already know (elaborative encoding).