Cognitive Psychology Flashcards
what is a prototype?
a mental image or the best example of a specific concept
(birds have wings, are small, and can fly : therefore a penguin is a less “birdy” bird) the way that we conceptualize birdiness is a prototype
what is convergent thinking? (Logic)
focuses on coming up with a single well established answer to a problem
what is divergent thinking? (creativity)
focuses on exploring many possible solutions
what is an algorithm problem solving strategy
a set of step by step procedures what provides the correct answer to a particular problem (the you tube “algorithm” solves the problem of weeding out inappropriate videos by putting it through a step by step screening process)
what are heuristics?
educated guesses based on prior experiences (mental short cuts) ie) this worked last time so something similar will work this time (using your experience)
what is a representative heuristic?
comparing the resent situation to most representative mental prototype (people assuming that a black person is more liable to have committed a crime)
what is an availability heuristic?
a decision on examples and information that immediately springs to mind (you feel more likely to win the lottery because you just read an article about someone winning the lottery) (you hear about plane crashes much more often than car crashes so you are much more afraid on a plane crash than a car crash even though car crashes happen more often)
what is a mental set
people use solutions that have worked in the past ( last time I throw a bad pitch I changed my grip, so this time I will change my grip again when really it is a problem with my posture)
what is functional fixedness?
people view problems only in their usual manner (a thumbtack can only be used to hold a paper to a corkboard and not for other things like putting something on the wall or holding paper together etc.)
what is overconfidence?
the tendency to overestimate out own judgement and skill (not taking help from others bc you believe you can do it better even though their help may assist in solving the problem)
what is hindsight bias
the tendency to say I knew it all along or view events as more predictable than they really are (I knew that couple wasn’t going to last)
what is framing?
the acquired response to the formerly neutral stimuli
who is Alfred Binet?
a french psychologist who invented the first used IQ test
- A and B are the FIRST letters in the alphabet
- you need to know the alphabet to have a good IQ
what is “g factor”
the intelligence factor that underlies all intelligent activity (charles spearman)
what is the equation for IQ?
(mental age/actual age) x100
what is fluid intelligence?
the ability to reason with flexibility (diminishes as you age) aka street smarts
what is crystallized intelligence?
the accumululation of knowledge, facts, or skills (increases as you age)
who is howard gardner?
theory of multiple intelligene
what is the Wechsler Intelligence scale?
intelligence was made up a number of different mental abilities rather than a single general intelligence factor
what is the flynn effect
IQ scores are rising worldwide over time
what are achievement tests?
tests that are designed to measure a person’s level of skill and or knowledge in a specific area
what are aptitude tests?
tests that assess or predicts what a person is capable of doing (career tests)
what is the definition of reliability?
tendency of a test to produce the same scores again and again, when it is given to the same people (how many times does the test get the same results?)
what is test-retest reliability?
best for intelligence,, administering a test twice at two different points in time
what is split half reliability?
comparing the results of one half of a test with another half of a test
what is the definition of validity?
the degree in which a test actually measures what it is supposed to measure (doesn’t have to be correct or reliable, but did it do what the goal was)
what is content validity?
a test that measures all aspects of what it is supposed to measure
what is the definition of prediticve?
the test accurately forecasts performance on a future measure (the SAT and college readiness)
what is normal distribution?
a bell shaped curve in which the majority of scores fall near or around an average score
what is recall?
being able to access the information without being cued (the goal that you are working toward right now)
what is recognition?
identifying information after experiencing it again (what you do on psych tests when you see a word and immediately remember the definition)
what is relearning?
the process by which we earn something for the second time (usually occurs faster than the first time) ie,, studying for AP tests
what is encoding?
the process of putting information into the memory system
what is storage?
the creation of a permanent record of the encoded information
what is retrieval?
the calling back of stored information into the memory system
what is iconic memory
visual (i like an eyeball)
what is echoic memory?
auditory (e like ear)
what is haptic memory
touch
what is maintenance rehearsal?
straight repeating of information in order to memorize it (saying something out loud to remember it)
what is chunking?
the process of taking individual pieces of information and grouping them into larger units,, when reading off a large number you remember the sequences in the series
what is the working memory?
the system in your brain that allows you to temporarily retain and manipulate the stored information involved in a complex process
millers magic number
the number of items that a person can store and recall in their short term memory (7 plus or minus 2)
what is implicit memory?
information that you remember unconsciously, and takes no effort
what is procedural memory?
how to perform a specif task,, riding a bike
what is explicit memory
information what you have to consciously work to remember
what is semantic memory?
factual memories, like how many states there are
what is episodic memory?
long term memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences (vacation memories)
what is prospective memory?
remembering to complete a task in the future,, oh shoot I need to do the dishes later, to do lists
what is long term potentiation?
strengthening if a synaptic connection that happens when the synapse of one neuron repeatedly fires and excites another neuron
what is the forgetting curve?
the exponential loss of information after learning it
what is retrograde amnesia?
cannot remember things before amnesia event
what is anterograde amnesia?
cannot create new memories after amnesia event
what is the serial position effect?
when we try to retrieve a long list of words we usually recall the last words (recency effect) or the first words (primary effect) and forget the middle
what is encoding failure?
when a memory is never formed (in one ear and out the other)
what is proactive interference?
older memories interfere with the retrieval of newer memories
what is retroactive interference?
newer memories interfere with the retrieval of older memories
what is a flashbulb memory?
vivid and detailed memories that people create during times of personal tragedy, accident and emotionally significant world events (everyone remembers where they were on 9/11)
who is elizabeth loftus and why is she significant?
extensive research on memory construction and false memories and how memory is changeable and not always accurate
what is the misinformation effect?
when exposed to misleading information we are likely to misremember
what is the method of loci?
association of words on a list with a visualization of places on a familiar path
what is context dependent memory?
easier recall of information when in the same context of the environment in which it was acquired
what is state dependent memory?
memories that are triggered or enhanced by a persons mood because of the relationship to the memories formed when you were in a familiar state
