AP Psych: Unit 5

Benjamin Whorf

Created the theory of Linguistic Relativity, which states that language determines the way we think.

Flynn Effect

The rise in average IQ scores that has occurred over the decades in many nations

Mental Age

a measure of intelligence test performance devised by Binet; the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance

Recognition

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test

Relearning

a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time

Prototype

a mental image or best example of a category

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

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

Heuristic

a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms

Mental Set

a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past

Fixation

according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

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

Long-term Potentiation

an increase in a cell's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory

Metacognition

awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Divided Attention

concentrating on more than one activity at the same time

Shallow Processing

encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words

Deep Processing

encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention

Effortful Processing

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

Elizabeth Loftus

known for her expertise in eyewitness testimony, false memories and the misinformation effect.

Implicit Memory

retention independent of conscious recollection

Mnemonic Devices

techniques for using associations to memorize and retrieve information

Creativity

the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Priming

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response

IQ

the average is 100; there are many definitions of this attribute, including multiple and crystallized

Rehearsal

the conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage

Retroactive Interference

the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information

Proactive Interference

the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information

Semantic Encoding

the encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words

Visual Encoding

the encoding of picture images

Acoustic Encoding

the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words

Selective Attention

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Sensory Memory

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system

Long-Term Memory

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Functional Fixedness

the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving

Framing

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.

Automatic Processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings

Flashbulb memory

A clear and vivid long-term memory of an especially meaningful and emotional event.

Recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

Algorithm

A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.

Noam Chomsky

Chomsky contributed ideas of language acquisition to cognitive psychology. He proposed the language acquisition device theory stating that humans have an innate ability to develop language 🗣️He also believed that children tend to overgeneralize language.

Wolfgang Köhler

He discovered insight in problem-solving; he saw how finding a solution to a problem could be sudden. He discovered this through experiments with chimpanzees 🐒

George A. Miller

He discovered that the capacity of short term memory is limited. Short term memory has a capacity of about 7 items at a given time and between 15 to 30 seconds of storing these items.

Hermann Ebbinghaus

He was the first to study memory in a scientific manner and the first to study the concept of forgetting 😟He came up with the forgetting curve and a few ways to improve your memory.

Schema

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Savant Syndrome

a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing

Intellectual Disability

a condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence score of 70 or below and difficulty in adapting to the demands of life; varies from mild to profound

Misinformation Effect

incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event

Repression

keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious

Amnesia

loss of memory

Explicit Memory

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare"

Intelligence

mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations

Biases

opinions or beliefs that affect a person's ability to make fair, unclouded judgments or decisions

Chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

Serial Position Effect

our tendency to recall best the last (a recency effect) and first items (a primacy effect) in a list