AP Psych Unit 2 (part 2)

Semantic difference

Putting things in other locations/altering something to remember it more

Recency effect

You recall items or events at the end (most recent) of a sequence better than those in the middle

Semantic

The understanding and use of words, symbols, and concepts, forming a vast store of general knowledge (deepest level of understanding)

Semantic processing

Accessing your stored knowledge to understand a word or sentence

Memory palace (Method of Loci)

Making vivid and strange images connected to a familiar location like a map or route used memorize things

Chunking

Grouping individual, often unrelated, items into larger, meaningful "chunks" overcoming short-term memory limits (around 7 ± 2 items) by storing them as fewer

Rehearsal

Repeatedly practicing information to aid memory

Constructive memory

Brain creates memories to fill gaps to make sense or complete a pattern

Semantic distinctiveness

Unique distinct characteristics that make something stand out making it easier to remember

Encoding

Sensory information from the world is converted into a mental format the brain can store (storing info in memory)

Storage

Keeping memory in brain

Retrieval

Recalling / remembering memory / any process of pulling info out of long term memory

Spacing effect

Learning is more effective and long-lasting when study sessions are spread out over time (distributed practice)

Serial position effect

Where an item is in a series of list will determine how easy it is to recall, people recall items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect)

Sensory memory

Brain's initial fleeting storage for detailed sensory input lasting fractions of a second to a few seconds

Short term memory

Can handle things 7 at a time, last upwards of 60 seconds

Working memory

Trying to repeat or rehearse a short term memory, can hang onto it 20-30 seconds for as long as you repeat it

Long term memory

Indefinite capacity, duration, stores things of highest importance

Primary effect

First thing you see you remember

Recency effect

Last thing you see is easy to remember

Maintenance rehearsal

Memory technique involving simple repetition (like repeating a phone number) to keep information active in short-term memory

Elaborative rehearsal

Moving information into long-term memory by actively connecting new data to existing knowledge

Autobiographical memory

Extermely good memory where you remember everything that happened to you everyday of your life

Amnesia

Significant memory loss, affecting the ability to learn new information or recall past events

Anterograde amnesia

Can’t form new memories but old remain

Retrograde amnesia

Inability to retrieve memories of the past

Infantile amnesia

Brain isn’t able to consolidate memories before the age of 3 so anything you “remember” from that time must’ve been a story you’ve been told or picture you saw

Alzheimer’s disease

Lack or inconsistency of acetylcholine which leads to forgetting

Recall

Retrieving memories without cues (like an essay question)

Recognition

Identifying previously learned info using prompts (like a multiple-choice test)

Congruency

Depending on your context, mood, or state it triggers different memories

Context dependent memory

Recall information better if you're in the same physical or mental environment

Mood congruent memory

Recall memories that match your current emotional state (happy memories when happy)

State dependent memory

Retrieving memories better when in the same internal state (physical/mental, like sober/drunk, as when you learned them)

Retrieval practice

Improving your ability to recall information by thinking about what you’re thinking

The testing effect

Learning strategy- actively recalling info from memory (like through a self-quiz or practice test) significantly improves long-term retention, more effective than simply re-reading notes

Metacognition

Thinking about thinking (tip of my tongue) trying to search in your schema

The forgetting curve

The more time gone by the more likely you are to forget

Inadequate retrieval

Tip of the tongue phenomenon, incomplete knowledge, we know that we know it but we just can’t come up with it

Encoding failure

We cannot remember or retrieve what we do not encode

Storage failure

Info wasn't properly saved for later recall, due to poor initial encoding (not paying attention) or the natural fading of unused memories over time

Retrieval failure

When you can't access information stored in your long-term memory even though the memory is still there

Interference

Gets in the way of being able to remember something

Proactive inference

Remembering old memories rather than new (procures the past)

Retroactive interference

Remembers the recent rather than the old

Repression (ego distress)

Self defense mechanism where you block out traumatic / bad memories (theorized by Sigmund Freud)

Psychodynamic psychology

Focusing on unconscious motivations, early childhood experiences, and internal conflicts shaping personality and behavior (Sigmund Freud = big believer)

Misinformation effect

Exposure to false or misleading post-event information distorts or creates inaccurate memories of an original event

Source amnesia

Forgetting or mixing up who told you information or who you told it to

Imagination inflation

Vividly imagining an event that never happened makes you more confident that it actually occurred

Intelligence

Ability to derive information, learn from experience, adapt to the environment, understand, and correctly utilize thought and reason

Multiple intelligence

Being intelligent in one specific area (sports, music, emotional)

General intelligence (g factor)

Broad mental ability underlying performance on diverse cognitive tasks, representing how well you reason, solve problems, and adapt (measured by IQ test)

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

Divided mental age by chronological age x 100 = IQ, modernly used to measure students for educational services

Psychometric principles

Different things we use to assess if a test is legitimate

Standardization

Looking for uniformity, everybody should have the same experience

Reliability

If it yields similar results time after time it is administrated

Socio-cultural responsiveness

Recognizing that behavior and mental health are deeply shaped by culture, society, race, and identity

Stereotype threat

Individuals feel pressure or anxiety about confirming negative stereotypes associated with their social group

Stereotype lift

Performance boost experienced by individuals from non-stereotyped groups when they perform a task linked to a negative stereotype about another group

Flynn effect

Over time iq has improved because of societal factors and advancements

Discrepancies in IQ

No genetic basis’ for these differences (stereo types of intellegence of different ethnicities) - confounding variables have affect

Discriminatory practice

Unfair treatment of groups based on characteristics like race, gender, age, or mental health from prejudice / stereotypes leading to harmful behaviors like denying opportunities like jobs, housing, care

Achievement

Measuring your current level of understanding

Aptitude

How well you do in the future (academic achievement is supposed to predict this)

Fixed mindset

You believe you will not do well so why bother trying to change

Growth mindset

You can change and improve with practice and dedication

Episodic memories

Personal recollections of specific past events (7th birthday party or a first kiss) including the what, where, and when, allowing you to mentally "time travel" back to re-experience them