AP PSYCH 5.1

Memory

Sensory memory: It’s a split-second holding bank for incoming sensory information. The first stop for external events

Iconic Memory: A split-second perfect photograph of a scene.

Echoic Memory: An equally perfect brief memory for sounds.

Selective Attention: We encode what we are attending to or what is important for us

Short-Term Memory: These Memories are currently working with and are aware of in our consciousness.

Chunking: Organizing items into a familiar, manageable unit.

Rehearse: Method of retention for short-term memory by repeating information.

Long-Term Memory: Permanent storage.

Explicit memories: Are conscious memories of facts or events we actively tried to remember.

Implicit Memories: Are unconscious memories that we might not even realize we have.

Constructive Memory

Recovered Memory: Individuals claim to suddenly remember events they have repressed for years. (MANY ARE FALSE RECOLLECTIONS OF EVENTS)

Constructed Memory: can report false details of a real event or might even be recollection of an event that has never occurred.

Levels of Processing Model

Levels of Processing Model: This theory explains why we remember what we do by explaining how deeply memory is processed.

FORGETTING AND RETRIEVAL

Retrieval

There are two different types of retrieval: recognition and recall.

Recognition: is the process of matching a current event or fact with one already in memory.

Recall: retrieving memory with an external cue.

Primacy effect: We’re more likely to recall items presented at the beginning of a list.

Recency effect: our ability to recall the items at the end of the list.

Serial Positioning Model: when recall of a list is affected by the order of items in a list.

Tip-of-the-tongue Phenomenon: the temporary inability to remember information

Semantic Network Theory: Our brain might form new memories by connecting their meaning and context with meanings already in memory.

Flashbulb memories: these are powerful because the importance of the event caused us to encode the context surrounding the event.

State-dependent memory: refers to the phenomenon of recalling events encoded while in particular states of consciousness.

Forgetting

Decay: Forgetting because we do not use memory connection to a memory for a long period of time.

Relearning Effect: if you learn something you had forgotten it will take you less time than the first time around.

Interference: Sometimes other information in your memory competes with what you are trying to recall

Retroactive interference: learning new information interferes with the recall of old information.

Proactive information: Older information learned previously interferes with the recall of new information.

How Memories are Physically Stored in the Brain

Anterograde Amnesia: Damage to the hippocampus. They can’t encode new memories, but they can recall events already in memory.

LANGUAGE

Elements of Language

Phonemes: are the smallest units of sound.

Morpheme: is the smallest unit of meaningful sound.

Syntax: the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

• By examining phonemes, morphemes, and syntax, psychologist can describe different languages in detail.

Language Acquisition

As language acquisition progresses, we retain to the ability to produce phonemes from our primary language.

Babbling Stage: Beginning at 4 months, the infant spontaneously utters various sounds. (not imitation of adult speech)

Holophrastic Stage: the time at which babies speak in single words (around 1yo)

Telegraphic Speech: Toddlers will combine the words they can say into simple commands. (18 months old)

Statistical Learning and Critical Periods: If children aren’t exposed to language before age 7, they lose the ability to master any language.

Language and Deafness

90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents and if they miss critical signing windows they will only learn languages as well as second language learners.

Language and Cognition

Language: Language, is our spoken, written, signed words and the way we combine these to communicate meaning to ourselves and others.

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis: The language we use might control, or limit our thinking. (By Benjamin Whorf)

Thinking and Creativity

Describing Thought

Descriptions are thoughts. We each have a cognitive rule we apply to stimuli in our environment that allow us to categorize and think about the objects, people, and ideas we encounter.

We base our concepts on prototypes, or what we think is the most typical example of a particular concept.

PROBLEM-SOLVING

Algorithms

One way to solve a problem is to try every possible solution. An algorithm is a rule that guarantees the right solution by using a formula or other foolproof method

Heuristics

A heuristic is a rule that generally but not always is true that we can use to make a judgment In a situation.