Cognition Terms Flashcards
Memory
the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information
Encoding
the initial learning of information
Storage
maintaining information over time
Retrieval
the ability to access information when you need it
Parallel Processing
the ability to deal with multiple stimuli simultaneously
Short-Term Memory
the memory systems in the brain involved in remembering pieces of info for a short period of time, often up to 30 seconds
Sensory Memory
a mental representation of how environmental events look, sound, feel, smell, and taste
Long-Term Memory
unlimited storage info to be maintained for long periods, even for life
Explicit Memory
the conscious recollection of a previous episode, as in recall or recognition
Effortful Processing
active processing of information that requires sustained effort
Automatic Processing
a type of thinking that does not involve any effort or deliberation, also known as unconscious processing
Implicit Memory
a form of long-tern memory that doesn’t require any conscious retrieval
Example: Riding a bike
Iconic Memory
holds visual info
Echoic Memory
ultra-short-term memory for things you hear
Chunking
the process by which the mind divides large pieces of info into smaller units (chunks) that are easier to retain in short-term memory
Mnemonics
any device or technique used to assist memory, usually by forging a link or association between new info to be remember and info previous encoded
Example: Every Good Boy Does Fine
Spacing Effects
the finding that long-term memory is enhanced when learning events are spaced apart in time, rather than massed in immediate succession
Shallow Processing
Deep Processing
cognitive processing of a stimulus that focuses on its meaningful properties rather than its perceptual characteristics
Hippocampus
a complex brain structure embedded deep into temporal love; it has a major role in learning and memory
Flashbulb Memory
an accurate and exceptionally vivid long-lasting memory for the circumstances surrounding learning about a dramatic event
Long-Term Potential
a process involving persistent strengthening of synapses that leads to a long-lasting increase in signal transmission between neurons
Example: if a mouse is placed in a pool of murky water, it will swim about until it finds a hidden platform to climb out on. With repetition, the mouse soon learns to locate the platform more quickly
Recall
the act of retrieving info or events from past while lacing a specific cue to help in retrieving the info
Recognition
a form of remembering characterized by a feeling of familiarity when something previous experienced is again encountered
Priming
occurs when an individual’s exposure to a certain stimulus influences his or her response to a subsequent stimulus, without any awareness of the connection
Mood-Congruent Memory
States that happy people will be better at remembering happy materials more than sad materials, whereas sad people will be better remembering sad materials better than happy materials
Serial Position Effect
The tendency to remember first and last items in s list better than those in the middle
Anterograde Amnesia
A type of memory loss that occurs when you can’t form new memories
Retrograde Amnesia
Memory loss where you can’t recall memories formed before the event that cause amnesia
Usually effects recently stored past memories, not memories from years ago
Proactive Interference
When older memories interfere with the retrieval of newer memories
Retroactive Interference
Conditions in which new learning interferes with old learning
Repression
The exclusion of distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings form the conscious mind
Misinformation Effect
Occurs when participants experience false memories of details of a witnessed event after they have been exposed to misleading information
Source Amnesia
The inability to recall where, when, or how one has learned knowledge that has been acquired and retained
Deja vu
occurs when we feel that a new situation is familiar, even if there is evidence that the situation could not have occurred previously
Cognition
The mental action of processing of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses
Concept
A verbal or written understanding of abstract thought
Prototype
A mental representation that serves as a cognitive reference point for the category
Creativity
The ability to produce or develop original work, theories, techniques, or thoughts
Convergent Thinking
Occurs when the solution to a problem can be deduced by applying established rules and logical reasoning
Divergent Thinking
Creative thinking that may follow many lines of thought and tends to generate new and original solutions to problems
Algorithm
A defined set of step-by-step procedures that provides the correct answer to a particular problem
Heuristic
Mental shortcuts that allow people to solve problems and make judgements quickly and efficiently
Insight
the clear and often sudden discernment of a solution to a problem by means that are not obvious and may never become so, even after one has tried hard to work out how one has arrived at the solution
Confirmation Bias
The tendency to seek out and prefer information that supports our preexisting beliefs
Mental Set
The brain’s tendency to stick with the most familiar solution to a problem and stubbornly ignore alternatives
Intuition
the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference
Representative Heuristic
occurs when we estimate the probability of an event base on how similar it is to a known situation
Availability Heuristic
occurs when we judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily we can recall similar effects
Overconfidence
when people’s subjective confidence in their own ability is great than their objective (actual) performance
Belief Preseverance
the inability of people to change their own belief, even upon receiving new information or facts that contradict or refute that belief
Framing
when someone reacts to a choice or concept based on how it is presented – or “framed” – to them
Language
a communication system that involves using words and systematic rules to organize those words to transmit information from one individual to another
Phoneme
the smallest units of sound that are recognizable as human speech and make words distinct from one another
Example:
the “p” at the beginning of the word “pat” that distinguishes “pat” from “bat” and “hat”
Morpheme
a unit of meaning that cannot be analyzed into smaller such units
Example:
the word books is composed of two morphemes, book and the suffix -s signifying a plural noun
Grammer
the study of rules governing the use of language
Babbling Stage
an essential phase of speech development in a child
One-Word Stage
the developmental period, between approximately 10 and 18 months, when children use one word at a time when speaking
Two-Word Stage
the stage in which children begin combining words together to better communicate their emotions, needs, and perceptions
Telegraphic Speech
when a child moves beyond the two-word, relational stage of language development and begins to express longer, three-word sentences using a finite set of grammatical categories, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives
Aphasia
a disorder that affects how you communicate
Linguistic Determinism
the semantic structure of a particular language determines the structure of mental categories among its speakers
(What we talked about in English when we read 1984)
Hermann Ebbinghaus
pioneered in the development of experimental methods for the measurement of rote learning and memory
discovered that reviewing new information at key points on the curve can help you to reduce the rate at which you typically forget
Elizabeth Loftus
known for her research on human memory, notably false memories
woman in Ted Talk
Steven Pinker
advocated evolutionary explanations for the functions of the brain and thus for language and behaviour
promoted the idea that most common human behaviors are those that many generations earlier contributed to survival and the ability to pass along genes
Noam Chomsky
the father of modern linguistics
Chomsky’s theory of language acquisition argues that human brain structures naturally allow for the capacity to learn and use languages
Paul Broca
discovered the area of the brain responsible for language disorders
was an eminent surgeon, neurologist and anthropologist
Carl Wernicke
descriptions of the aphasias, disorders interfering with the ability to communicate in speech or writing
Benjamin Lee Whorf
known for his ideas about linguistic relativity, the hypothesis that language influences thought
