Chapter 8 Flashcards
Acronym
A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase or name.
Attention
The ability to focus awareness on a particular stimulus or task.
Automated basic skills
Skills performed effortlessly and without conscious thought, often through
Automaticity
The ability to perform tasks without conscious effort or attention.
Bottom up processing
Information processing that starts with the sensory receptors and works up to higher levels of processing.
Central executive
Part of the working memory system responsible for coordinating cognitive processes and allocating attention.
Chain mnemonics
A memory technique where items are linked together in a chain, each item reminding of the next.
Chunking
Combining individual pieces of information into larger units, or “chunks,” to improve memory.
Cognitive load
The mental effort required to process information in working memory.
Cognitive science
The interdisciplinary study of how information is processed by the brain and how it influences behavior.
Cognitive view of learning
The perspective that learning involves the acquisition and restructuring of knowledge in the mind.
Concept
Mental representations of categories or ideas that share common characteristics.
Context
The circumstances or environment in which learning or remembering occurs.
Decay
The fading or weakening of memories over time due to disuse.
Declarative knowledge
Knowledge that can be explicitly stated or described.
Defining attribute
The essential characteristic or features that define a concept or category.
Deliberate practice
Purposeful and systematic practice aimed at improving performance.
Desirable difficulty
Introducing challenges or obstacles during learning that enhance retention and understanding.
Distributed learning/practice
Spreading out study or practice sessions over time to enhance long-term retention.
Domain-specific knowledge
Knowledge that is specific to a particular subject or field.
Domain-specific strategies
Problem-solving techniques or approaches specific to a particular subject area.
Dual coding theory
The theory that memory is enhanced when information is processed both verbally and visually.
Elaboration
Expanding upon new information by connecting it to existing knowledge or experiences.
Elaborative rehearsal
A memory strategy involving associating new information with existing knowledge to aid in retention.
Episodic buffer
A component of working memory responsible for integrating information from different sources into coherent episodes.
Episodic memory
Memory of specific events or experiences linked to a particular time and place.
Exemplar
A specific instance or example used to represent a category or concept.
Explicit memory
Conscious and intentional memory retrieval, typically involving facts or events.
Extraneous cognitive load
Mental processing demands unrelated to the learning task that can impede learning.
Flashbulb memories
Vivid and detailed memories of significant events, often emotionally charged.
General knowledge
Broad, nonspecific information about the world.
Gestalt
The theory that the whole of perception is different from the sum of its parts.
Images
Mental representations of sensory experiences, often visual but can involve other senses.
Implicit memory
Memory that operates unconsciously and affects behavior or thought without conscious awareness.
Information processing
The cognitive processes involved in encoding, storing, and retrieving information.
Interference
Drawing conclusions or making deductions based on evidence and reasoning.
Interleaved practice
Mixing different types of practice or study tasks within a single session to enhance learning.
Intrinsic cognitive load
The mental effort required by the complexity of the learning task itself.
Keyword method
A mnemonic technique that involves associating unfamiliar words with familiar words or phrases to aid memory.
Levels of processing theory
The theory that memory recall is influenced by the depth of processing, with deeper processing leading to better retention.
Loci method
A mnemonic technique that involves mentally associating items to be remembered with specific locations in a familiar environment.
Long term memory
The system of memory responsible for storing information over extended periods of time.
Maintenance rehearsal
Repeating information over and over to maintain it in short-term memory without deeper processing.
Massed practice
Concentrated practice or study sessions without breaks, often leading to less effective learning compared to distributed practice.
Mirror systems
Neural systems in the brain that activate both when performing an action and when observing someone else perform the same action.
Mnemonics
Memory aids or techniques used to enhance the retention of information.
Organization
Arranging information into meaningful and manageable structures or categories to aid memory and understanding.
Part learning
Breaking down complex skills or tasks into smaller parts and mastering each part individually before integrating them.
Perception
The process of recognizing, interpreting, and making sense of sensory information received from the environment.
Phonological loop
A component of working memory responsible for the temporary storage and rehearsal of verbal information.
Priming
The activation of particular associations in memory, often unconsciously, which influences subsequent behavior or thoughts.
Procedural knowledge
Knowledge of how to perform tasks or activities, often acquired through practice and experience.
Procedural memory
Memory for how to perform specific tasks or skills.
Productions
Rules or procedures that govern behavior or problem-solving in cognitive models.
Propositional network
A model of semantic memory organization where concepts are represented as nodes connected by relationships or associations.
Prototype
A typical or idealized representation of a concept based on shared features.
Reconstruction
The process of rebuilding or reassembling past events or experiences based on available information and schema.
Retrieval
The process of accessing and bringing information from memory into consciousness.
Retrieval practice/testing effect
The phenomenon where actively recalling information from memory, such as through testing, enhances long-term retention.
Rote memorization
Learning information through repetition without necessarily understanding its meaning or context.
Schemas
Mental frameworks or structures used to organize and interpret information based on prior knowledge and experiences.
Script
A type of schema that represents typical sequences of events or actions in familiar situations.
Self regulatory knowledge
Knowledge about one’s own cognitive processes and strategies used to regulate learning and problem-solving.
Semantic memory
Memory for general knowledge and facts about the world, independent of personal experiences.
Sensory memory
The initial stage of memory that holds sensory information from the environment for a brief period of time.
Serial-position effect
The tendency to remember items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list better than those in the middle.
Short term memory
The temporary storage system responsible for holding a small amount of information for a short duration, typically around 20-30 seconds.
Spreading activation
The process by which activating one node in a semantic network increases the likelihood of related nodes becoming activated.
Story grammar
The underlying structure or organization of narratives, including elements such as characters, setting, plot, and resolution.
Theory based
Approaches or methods in psychology that are based on theoretical frameworks or principles.
Top down
Processing information by starting with higher-level cognitive processes, such as expectations and context, to guide lower-level processing.
Visuospatial sketchpad
A component of working memory responsible for temporarily storing and manipulating visual and spatial information.
Working memory
The system responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information required for complex cognitive tasks.
