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AP Psychology Unit 7 - Cognition Flashcards

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6684502069cognitionall the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.0
6684502070concepta mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.1
6684502071prototypea mental image or best example of a category.2
6684502072algorithma methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier—but also more error-prone—use of heuristics.3
6684502073heuristica simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms.4
6684502074insighta sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem; it contrasts with strategy-based solutions.5
6684502075creativitythe ability to produce novel and valuable ideas.6
6684502076confirmation biasa tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence.7
6684502077fixationthe inability to see a problem from a new perspective, by employing a different mental set.8
6684502078mental seta tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past.9
6684502079functional fixednessthe tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving.10
6684502080representativeness heuristicjudging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information.11
6684502081availability heuristicestimating 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.12
6684502082overconfidencethe tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.13
6684502083belief perseveranceclinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.14
6684502084intuitionan effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning.15
6684502085framingthe way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.16
6684502086languageour spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning.17
6684502087phonemein language, the smallest distinctive sound unit.18
6684502088morphemein a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix).19
6684502089grammarin a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others.20
6684502090semanticsthe set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language; also, the study of meaning.21
6684502091syntaxthe rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences in a given language.22
6684502092babbling stagebabies spontaneously uttering a variety of words, such as ah-goo23
6684502093one-word stagethe stage in which children speak mainly in single words24
6684502094two-word stagethey start uttering two word sentences25
6684502095telegraphic speechearly speech stage in which a child speaks like a telegram—"go car"—using mostly nouns and verbs.26
6684502096linguistic determinismWhorf's hypothesis that language determines the way we think.27
6684502097memorythe persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.28
6684502098encodingthe processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.29
6684502099storagethe retention of encoded information over time.30
6684502100retrievalthe process of getting information out of memory storage.31
6684502101sensory memorythe immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.32
6684502102short-term memoryactivated 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.33
6684502103long-term memorythe relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.34
6684502104working memorya 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.35
6684502105parallel processingthe processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.36
6684502106automatic processingunconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.37
6684502107effortful processingencoding that requires attention and conscious effort.38
6684502108rehearsalthe conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.39
6684502109spacing effectthe tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.40
6684502110serial position effectour tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.41
6684502111visual encodingthe encoding of picture images.42
6684502112acoustic encodingthe encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.43
6684502113semantic encodingthe encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.44
6684502114imagerymental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.45
6684502115mnemonicsmemory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.46
6684502116chunkingorganizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.47
6684502117iconic memorya momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.48
6684502118echoic memoryA momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.49
6684502119long-term potentiation (LTP)an increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.50
6684502120flashbulb memorya clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.51
6684502121amnesiathe loss of memory.52
6684502122implicit memoryretention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called non-declarative or procedural memory.)53
6684502123explicit memorymemory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare." (Also called declarative memory.)54
6684502124hippocampusa neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.55
6684502125recalla measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.56
6684502126recognitiona measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.57
6684502127relearninga measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.58
6684502128primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.59
6684502129déjà vuthat eerie sense that "I've experienced this before." Cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.60
6684502130mood-congruent memorythe tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood.61
6684502131proactive interferencethe disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.62
6684502132retroactive interferencethe disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.63
6684502133repressionin psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.64
6684502134misinformation effectincorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event.65
6684502135source amnesiaattributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined. (Also called source misattribution.) Source amnesia, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false memories.66

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