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AP Psych - Midterm Review - Cognition- Unit 7

Terms in this set (41)

Encoding
the processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.
acoustic encoding
the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words
visual encoding
the encoding of picture images
automatic processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings
implicit memory
retention that is unconscious, HOW to do things
explicit memory
the memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare", WHAT things are
mnemonics
learning aids, strategies, and devices that improve recall through the use of retrieval cues
Imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
peg-word system
A mnemonic in which the items in a list to be remembered are associated with the sequential items in a memorized jingle and then the list is retrieved by going through the jingle and retrieving the associated items.
method of loci
A mnemonic technique that involves associating items on a list with a sequence of familiar physical locations
Chunking
organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically
Repression
in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories
short-term memory
activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten
working memory
a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory
sensory memory
the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
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
flashbulb memory
a clear memory of an emotionally significant/traumatic moment or event
misinformation effect
incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event
mood-congruent memory
the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood
self-reference effect
tendency to better remember information relevant to ourselves
proactive interference
the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information
retroactive interference
the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information
Priming
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response
source amnesia
attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined
state-dependent memory
The theory that information learned in a particular state of mind (e.g., depressed, happy, somber) is more easily recalled when in that same state of mind.
serial position effect
our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list
framing effect
The decision-making bias that results from the way a decision, question, or problem is worded/presented
functional fixedness
the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving
Heuristics
simple thinking strategies for solving problems quickly and efficiently.
representative heuristic
judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes
availability heuristic
estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common
Overconfidence
the tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.
belief perseverance
clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited or proved wrong
prototype
a mental image or best example of a category
confirmation bias
a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence
linguistic determinism
Whorf's hypothesis that language determines the way we think
Noam Chomsky
humans have an inborn native ability to develop language
cognition
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
Morpheme
in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix)
phoneme
in language, the smallest distinctive sound unit
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