AP Psych, Unit 5, Cognitive Psychology
insight
a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem
Syntax
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
Metacognition
"Thinking about thinking" or the ability to evaluate a cognitive task to determine how best to accomplish it, and then to monitor and adjust one's performance on that task
Alfred Binet
1857-1911; Field: testing; Contributions: general IQ tests, designed test to identify slow learners in need of remediation-not applicable in the U.S. because too culture-bound (French)
Charles Spearman
1863-1945; Field: intelligence; Contributions: found that specific mental talents were highly correlated, concluded that all cognitive abilities showed a common core which he labeled 'g' (general ability)
Algorithm
A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.
Herman Ebbinghaus (1850-1909)
After learning lists of nonsense syllables, he studied how much he retained up to 30 days later. He found that memory for novel information fades quickly, then levels out: Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve.
Wolgang Kohler
Gestalt psychologist that first demonstrated insight through his chimpanzee experiments. He noticed the solution process wasn't slow, but sudden and reflective.
gifted
Having above-average intelligence (an IQ of 130 or higher) and/or superior talent for something.
Flynn effect
The rise in average IQ scores that has occurred over the decades in many nations
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
prototype
a mental image or best example of a category
echoic memory
a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli
iconic memory
a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli
Heuristic
a rule-of-thumb problem-solving strategy
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
abstract measures
assess how well an individual uses reasoning skills and applies what they know
Thinking
changing and reorganizing the information stored in memory to create new information
Elizabeth Loftus
cognition and memory; studied repressed memories and false memories; showed how easily memories could be changed and falsely created by techniques such as leading questions and illustrating the inaccuracy in eyewitness testimony Her research on memory construction and the misinformation effect created doubts about the accuracy of eye-witness testimony
divided attention
concentrating on more than one activity at the same time Divided attention is required when multiple tasks require selective attention, sustained attention or a combination of both. The problem with dividing attention is caused by the brain mechanism that allows us to switch between multiple different tasks.
Howard Gardner
devised theory of multiple intelligences: logical-mathematic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, linguistic, musical, interpersonal, naturalistic
shallow processing
encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words An approach to memorization that involves focusing on the superficial characteristics of the stimulus, such as the sound of a word or the typeface in which it's printed.
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
Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve demonstrates that:
forgetting is rapid at first and then levels off
speed of processing
how quickly and efficiently the early steps in information processing are completed
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
Robert Sternberg
intelligence; devised the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence (academic problem-solving, practical, and creative)
Francis Galton
interested in link between heredity and intelligence; founder of the eugenics movement
Noam Chomsky
language development; disagreed with Skinner about language acquisition, stated there is an infinite # of sentences in a language, humans have an inborn native ability to develop language
George Miller
made famous the phrase: "the magical number 7, plus or minus 2" when describing human memory
semantic memory
memory for knowledge about the world
explicit memory
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare"
fluid intelligence
our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
Lewis Terman
professor at Stanford who revised the Binet test for Americans. The test then became the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. He is also known for his longitudinal research on gifted kids.
prospective memory
remembering to do something in the future
David Wechsler
researcher that worked with troubled kids in the 1930's in NYC. He observed that many of these kids demonstrated a type of intelligence that was much different than the type of intelligence needed to succeed in the school system (STREET SMARTS). He created tests to measure more than verbal ability.
implicit memory
retention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called procedural memory.)
verbal measures
the ability to analyze information and solve problems using language-based reasoning.
selective attention
the ability to focus on only one stimulus from among all sensory input
stereotype threat
the apprehension experienced by members of a group that their behavior might confirm a cultural stereotype a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype
episodic memory
the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place
Semantics
the set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language; also, the study of meaning
sensory memory
the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
Encoding
the processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.
long-term memory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.
automatic processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings