2.5-2.7 Flashcards
explicit memory of facts and general knowledge; one of our two conscious memory systems
semantic memory
explicit memory of personally experienced events; one of our two conscious memory systems
episodic memory
a neural center located in the Limbic system; helps process explicit memories – of facts and events – for storage.
hippocampus
the neural storage of a long-term memory
memory consolidation
a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
flashbulb memory
the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory
priming
the idea that cues and contexts specific to a particular memory will be most effective in helping us recall it
encoding specificity principle
the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood
mood-congruent memory
our tendency to recall best the last items in a list initially, and the first items in a list after a delay
serial position effect
a retrieval practice strategy that involves mixing the study of different topics
interleaving
an inability to form new memories
anterograde amnesia
an inability to remember information from one’s past
retrograde amnesia
the forward-acting disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information
proactive interference
the backward-acting disruptive effect of newer learning on the recall of old information
retroactive interference
the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories
repression
a process in which previously stored memories, when retrieved, are potentially altered before being stored again
reconsolidation
occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information
misinformation effect
faulty memory for how, when, or where information was learned or imagined, at the heart of many false memories
source amnesia
the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations
intelligence
according to Spearman and others, underlies all mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test
general intelligence (g)
a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person’s total score
factor analysis
our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease with age, especially during late adulthood
fluid intelligence (Gf)
our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age
crystallized intelligence (Gc)
the theory that our intelligence is based is based on g as well as specific abilities, bridged by Gf and Gc
Cattell-Horn-Carroll Theory
a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing
savant syndrome
passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals
grit
the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions
emotional intelligence
a method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores
intelligence test
a test designed to assess what a person has learned
achievement test
a test designed to predict a person’s future performance
aptitude test
the capacity to learn
aptitude
a measure of intelligence test performance devised by Binet; the level of performance typically associated with children of a certain chronological age
mental age
the widely used American revision of Binet’s original intelligence test
Stanford-Binet
defined originally as the ratio of mental age to chronological age multiplied by 100. On contemporary tests, the average performance for a given age is assigned to a score of 100.
intelligence quotient
the most widely used intelligence tests; they contain verbal and performance (nonverbal) subtests
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits
psychometrics
defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group
standardization
the rise in intelligence test performance over time and across cultures
Flynn effect
the extent to which a test yields consistent results, as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves of the test, on alternate forms of the test, or on retesting
reliability
the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to
validity
the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest
content validity
how much a test measures a concept or trait
construct validity
the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behaivor
predictive validity
research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time
cross-sectional study
research that follows and retests the same people over time
longitudinal study
a group of people sharing a common characteristic, such as being from a given time period
cohort
a focus on learning and growing rather than viewing abilities as fixed
growth mindset
the view that intelligence, abilities, and talents are unchangeable, even with effort
fixed mindset
a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype
stereotype threat
