PSYC100 Vocabulary Flashcards: Metacognition, Mindsets, Learning Strategies, and Attention

Metacognition, Mindsets, and the Learning Cycle

• Opening prompts (Page 1): elements of the learning cycle; broad consequences and questions about AI in learning; prompts to engage with polls (PollEV: www.pollev.com/punchyocean).

• Today’s focus (Page 2):

  • Metacognition

  • Mindsets

  • 6 effective learning strategies

  • Attention

Metacognition and Mindsets

• Page 3 prompt for class responses: describe specific instances of engaging in metacognition (not limited to school contexts).

• Page 4: Key components likely tied to beliefs and self-regulation:

  • Belief

  • What effort means

  • What matters

  • Behavioral outcomes

  • Interpretation of failure

• Page 5: Question raised — Why do mindsets matter?

Growth Mindset Research and Impacts

• Page 6: FIGURE 2 summary (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007):

  • Seventh graders who received a growth mindset program avoided the downward trajectory in math grades typical in middle school.

  • The figure compares math grades before and after the program with two groups:

  • Students who received study skills training and a growth mindset program (growth mindset group)

  • Students who received study skills training only (control group)

  • Graph notes (axes and labels are approximate from the slide):

  • Y-axis ranges roughly from $2.0$ to $3.0$ in math grade units, with tick marks at $2.0$, $2.2$, $2.4$, $2.6$, $2.8$, $3.0$.

  • Bars/lines labeled "Before program" and "After program" show the growth mindset+skills group rising or stabilizing, while the skills-only group shows less favorable trajectories.

  • Source: BLACKWELL, TRZESNIEWSKI, & DWECK (2007).

• Significance: The growth mindset intervention can influence mathematical achievement trajectories in early adolescence, implying beliefs about ability affect persistence and performance.

The 6 Effective Learning Strategies (and related concepts)

• Page 7 lists the following strategies, with accompanying structure (Definition, Key ideas, Examples):

  • Retrieval Practice

  • Spaced Practice

  • Dual Coding

  • Interleaving

  • Concrete Examples

  • Elaboration

• Page 8 reiterates the six strategies: Retrieval Practice, Spaced Practice, Dual Coding, Interleaving, Concrete Examples, Elaboration.

• Page 7 also hints at components to accompany each strategy:

  • Definition

  • Key ideas

  • Example 1

  • Example 2

Retrieval Practice

• Definition: Actively recalling information from memory rather than rereading or passive review.

• Key ideas: strengthens memory traces, improves long-term retention, helps diagnose gaps.

• Examples:

  • Use flashcards to test recall of terms or concepts.

  • Practice with free recall of main ideas before checking notes.

• Hypothetical classroom cue: After reading a chapter, students close the book and write down everything they remember, then check accuracy.

Spaced Practice

• Definition: Spreading study sessions over time rather than cramming.

• Key ideas: spacing effect enhances retention; longer retention intervals lead to better recall.

• Examples:

  • Review a topic on Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14.

  • Schedule short review intervals across days/weeks.

• Practical implication: Plan iterative reviews rather than single long sessions.

Dual Coding

• Definition: Using both verbal and visual representations to learn information.

• Key ideas: facilitates connections between textual and visual memory; supports processing through multiple channels.

• Examples:

  • Create diagrams, mind maps, or sketches to accompany written notes.

  • Pair a verbal explanation with a simple illustration or graph.

• Practical implication: Use infographics or concept maps to reinforce comprehension.

Interleaving

• Definition: Mixing or alternating topics or problem types within a study session.

• Key ideas: contrasts between topics promote deeper learning; prevents overreliance on procedural cues.

• Examples:

  • Practice problems from Topic A, then Topic B, then Topic C in a shuffled order.

  • Alternate reading sections on related but distinct concepts.

• Practical implication: Schedule practice sessions that interleave different subjects rather than block-studying one topic at a time.

Concrete Examples

• Definition: Use specific, tangible instances to illustrate abstract ideas.

• Key ideas: examples anchor understanding; helps transfer to new contexts.

• Examples:

  • In math, illustrate a general principle with a concrete numerical example (e.g., using a real-world dataset).

  • In psychology, connect a theory to a real-world scenario (e.g., studying memory with a lab-like example).

• Practical implication: Always attach abstract ideas to concrete cases in explanations.

Elaboration

• Definition: Explain and expand on material by making connections, asking questions (how/why), and comparing/contrasting.

• Key ideas: builds deeper understanding; integrates new knowledge with existing schemas.

• Examples:

  • When learning a concept, explain how it relates to another topic you know.

  • Describe how two similar concepts differ and how they are alike.

• Practical implication: Use elaborative interrogation and self-explanation during study.

Active Learning Techniques in Practice (class visuals)

• Page 9: "tientists" (likely Scientists) show strategies such as:

  • Retrieval Practice OR WRITE SKETCH CHECK

  • Takeaways: combine retrieval with active generation (writing/sketching/verification) to reinforce learning.

• Pages 10–11: Spaced Practice layout visuals

  • Calendar-style representations show study sessions spread across days (M, T, W, Th, F, Sa, Su) with variations in the sequence over time.

  • Temporal markers: 1 MONTH AGO, 1 WEEK AGO, 1 DAY AGO indicate increasing proximity of sessions to the test.

• Page 12: Infographic styles for Dual Coding

  • Pros/Cons of Dual Coding visualized via formats like Cartoon Strip, Diagram, Graphic Organizer, Timeline.

  • Timeline example includes events labeled EVENT 1 through EVENT 5 spanning years 2012–2016.

Interleaving and Concrete Examples in Visuals

• Page 13: Interleaving example shows TOPIC A, TOPIC B, TOPIC C arranged to encourage switching among topics.

• Page 14: Concrete examples slide with placeholders (eg) to illustrate that concrete instances accompany abstract ideas.

• Page 15: Elaboration slide shows:

  • DIFFERENT (A) vs SIMILAR (B) with an upward arrow indicating elaboration to compare/contrast.

Pause-to-Review and Group Work

• Page 17: Pause to Check on Your Notes!

  • Look over recent notes

  • Partner activity: ask a clarification question; fill in gaps; compare organization with a classmate.

Skills for Success in PSYC100

• Page 18: List of Skills for Success (eight items, slightly jumbled in numbering):

  • Metacognition

  • Awareness of mindsets

  • Effective learning strategies

  • Recognizing the limits of our attention

  • Retrieval practice

  • Interleaving

  • Spaced practice

  • Dual coding

  • Concrete examples

  • Elaboration

• Practical takeaway: These skills align with building self-regulated, transferable learning habits.

Attention: Limits, Processes, and Selectivity

• Page 19: Prediction prompt about attention recovery after using a voice assistant for commands (Siri-like scenario) — class poll question.

• Page 20: Core claim — Attention is a limited resource.

• Page 21: Attention as two processes:

  • Process 1: Focus limited resources on relevant information

  • Process 2: Block out irrelevant information

• Page 22: Attention is selective (Broadbent’s Filter Theory)

  • Model components:

  • Message A: Limited-capacity responses

  • Message B: Input channels

  • Selective filter as part of decision channel

  • Messages C and D as competing stimuli

  • Four messages presented; only one passes to the limited-capacity decision mechanism

  • Source: Broadbent (1958)

• Page 23: Let's Take an Attention Test! (class activity indicator)

Attention-Related Phenomena in Perception

• Page 24: Inattentional Blindness

  • Definition: A failure to detect something clearly in your visual field because your attention was focused elsewhere

  • Slide notes: 3 conditions that lead to greater likelihood of inattentional blindness (not enumerated in the transcript)

• Page 25: Attention Task

  • Prompt: How many changes do you see? (change-detection task)

• Page 26: Change Blindness

  • Definition: A failure to detect differences in your visual field when scenes are disrupted by a visual disturbance

Connections to Foundational Principles and Real-World Relevance

• Learning strategies (Retrieval, Spaced Practice, Dual Coding, Interleaving, Concrete Examples, Elaboration) align with cognitive psychology research on encoding and retrieval, helping long-term retention and transfer.

• Growth mindset interventions can influence academic trajectories, particularly in subjects like mathematics during critical schooling periods.

• Metacognition and awareness of mindsets support self-regulated learning and adaptability across disciplines and contexts.

• Attention research (limited resources, two-process model, Broadbent’s selective attention) informs classroom design (minimizing distractions, chunking information, signaling relevant inputs).

• Inattentional and change blindness highlight real-world fallibility in perception under attention load, with implications for safety-critical tasks (driving, monitoring screens, multitasking).

Quick Reference: Key Terms and Concepts (LaTeX-ready for formulas and emphasis)

• Growth mindset program (studies show attenuation of typical decline in math grades):

  • For math achievement, see: $7^{th}$ graders with growth mindset intervention vs control.

• Attention concepts:

  • Attention as a limited resource: $\text{Attention} \subseteq \text{Finite}$.

  • Two-process model: $\text{Focus on relevant input} \quad \land \quad \text{Block irrelevant input}$.

  • Broadbent’s Filter Theory: selective filter reduces multiple messages to a single attended channel before decision-making.

• Cognitive phenomena:

  • Inattentional blindness: failure to notice unexpected objects when attention is elsewhere.

  • Change blindness: failure to notice changes in a visual scene when disrupted.

Poll/Evaluation Prompts (Class Activities)

• Page 1 & 19 prompts invite live polling via PollEv: use questions about learning strategies, attention, and the impact of AI on learning.

• Page 23–25 attention tasks encourage quick perception checks to illustrate inattentional/change blindness.

References Retained in Transcript

• Blackwell, L. S.; Trzesniewski, K. H.; Dweck, C. S. (2007). Growth mindset intervention and math achievement data presented for 7th graders.

• Broadbent, D. E. (1958). Broadbent's Filter theory of selective attention (as cited in Figure 4-7).

• The slide deck references PollEv at www.pollev.com/punchyocean for in-class engagement.