Ap Psych Cognition

encoding

getting information into our brain

working memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as seven digits of a phone number while dialing before the info was stored and forgotten

sensory memory

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

long-term memory

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

iconic memory

a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second

echoic memory

a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings

effortful processing

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

Chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

mnemonics

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

spacing effect

the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice

testing effect

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information

deep processing

encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention

shallow processing

encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words

explicit memory

a memory of experiences that one can consciously know

implicit memory

Task like memory

flashbulb memory

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event

Amygdala

two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.

long-term potentiation

an increase in a cell's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

recognition

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test

serial position effect

our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list

mood-congruent memory

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood

context dependent memory

The theory that information learned in a particular place is better remembered when in that same situation or place.

retrograde amnesia

an inability to retrieve information from one's past

anterograde amnesia

an inability to form new memories

Hermann Ebbinghaus the forgetting curve

the course of forgetting is initially rapid, then levels off with time

retroactive interference

Call old boyfriend by your new boyfriends name

proactive interference

Calling new boyfriend by your old boyfriends name

memory construction

Occurs during retrieval. Memory is a construct of the mind and therefore can be updated with new info and experiences.

Elizabeth Loftus

1944-present; Field: memory; Contributions: expert in eyewitness testimony (false memories or misinformation effect); Studies: Reconstruction of Auto. Destruction, Jane Doe Case (repressed memories of Nicole Taus' sex abuse)

Algorithm

A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.

availability heuristic

Judging the likelihood based on the most readily available information (Fighting over what chores you know you do)

representitive heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes (someone who looks like they would commit a crime)

Fixation

the inability to see a problem from a new perspective - 2 types

mental set

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

functional fixedness

the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions (brick can be a hammer too)

belief perspective

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

confirmation bias

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

convergent thinking

finding and focusing on one correct solution for a problem

divergent thinking

ability to find many solutions to a problem

intelligence

the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations

Stanford-Binet

a way in which we measure a persons mental age compared to their chronological age

Gardner's 8 intelligences

Views intelligence as multiple separate abilities rather

than one central intelligence

• 8 proposed abilities:

Naturalist

Linguistic

Interpersonal

Intrapersonal

Logical-mathematical

Musical

Spatial

Bodily-kinesthetic

emotional intelligence

the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions

intelligence quotient

mental age/chronological age x 100

mental age

the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance

aptitude test

a test designed to predict a person's future performance

achievement test

a test designed to assess what a person has learned

WAIS

(Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) Verbal & performance scores. Most widely used intelligence test today. Helps you find areas of strength and areas of weakness.

standardized test

A test with uniform procedures for administration and scoring. Many standardized tests allow a person's performance to be compared with the performance of other individuals.

reliable

every time you take the test you get the same score

Validity

The ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure

preditive validity

The success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior.

content validity

the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest

grit

passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals