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AP Psychology Unit 7 - Cognition, Language, & Memory Flashcards

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9697445674cognitionall the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.0
9697445675concepta mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.1
9697445676prototypea mental image or best example of a category.2
9697445677algorithma 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
9697445678heuristica simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms.4
9697445679insighta sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem; it contrasts with strategy-based solutions.5
9697445680creativitythe ability to produce novel and valuable ideas.6
9697445681confirmation biasa tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence.7
9697445682fixationthe inability to see a problem from a new perspective, by employing a different mental set.8
9697445683mental seta tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past.9
9697445684functional fixednessthe tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving.10
9697445685representativeness 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
9697445686availability 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
9697445687overconfidencethe tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.13
9697445688belief perseveranceclinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.14
9697445689intuitionan effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning.15
9697445690framingthe way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.16
9697445691languageour spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning.17
9697445692phonemein language, the smallest distinctive sound unit.18
9697445693morphemein a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix).19
9697445694grammarin a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others.20
9697445695semanticsthe set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language; also, the study of meaning.21
9697445696syntaxthe rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences in a given language.22
9697445697babbling stagebabies spontaneously uttering a variety of words, such as ah-goo23
9697445698one-word stagethe stage in which children speak mainly in single words24
9697445699two-word stagethey start uttering two word sentences25
9697445700telegraphic speechearly speech stage in which a child speaks like a telegram—"go car"—using mostly nouns and verbs.26
9697445701linguistic determinismWhorf's hypothesis that language determines the way we think.27
9697445702memorythe persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.28
9697445703encodingthe processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.29
9697445704storagethe retention of encoded information over time.30
9697445705retrievalthe process of getting information out of memory storage.31
9697445706sensory memorythe immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.32
9697445707short-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
9697445708long-term memorythe relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.34
9697445709working 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
9697445710parallel 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
9697445711automatic processingunconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.37
9697445712effortful processingencoding that requires attention and conscious effort.38
9697445713rehearsalthe conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.39
9697445714spacing effectthe tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.40
9697445715serial position effectour tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.41
9697445716visual encodingthe encoding of picture images.42
9697445717acoustic encodingthe encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.43
9697445718semantic encodingthe encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.44
9697445719imagerymental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.45
9697445720mnemonicsmemory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.46
9697445721chunkingorganizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.47
9697445722iconic memorya momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.48
9697445723echoic memoryA momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.49
9697445724long-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
9697445725flashbulb memorya clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.51
9697445726amnesiathe loss of memory.52
9697445727implicit memoryretention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called non-declarative or procedural memory.)53
9697445728explicit memorymemory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare." (Also called declarative memory.)54
9697445729hippocampusa neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.55
9697445730recalla measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.56
9697445731recognitiona measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.57
9697445732relearninga measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.58
9697445733primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.59
9697445734déjà vuthat eerie sense that "I've experienced this before." Cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.60
9697445735mood-congruent memorythe tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood.61
9697445736proactive interferencethe disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.62
9697445737retroactive interferencethe disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.63
9697445738repressionin psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.64
9697445739misinformation effectincorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event.65
9697445740source 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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