Cognitive psychology

Question 1

Memory

Answer 1

the storage of information in the brain for later access

Question 2

Encoding

Answer 2

the process of taking information from the world, as well as our internal thoughts and feelings, and creating a storage-ready version

Question 3

Storage

Answer 3

The maintenance of encoded information in the brain for later access

Question 4

Retrieval

Answer 4

The process of bringing to mind previously encoded and stored information

Question 5

When vs. How

Answer 5

When: a personal life event, fixed in time
How: procedure, can use anytime (exists outside of when you learnt it)

Question 6

Sensory memory

Answer 6

Information entering the brain, accomplished through sensory organs.
For a very brief period, usually less than 1 second, a very detailed memory is produced, quickly lost/ forgotten

Question 7

Short-term memory

Answer 7

Further processing of an item in sensory memory (not all sensory memories are processed into short-term memory; many are forgotten).
Last less than 1 minute.

Question 8

Long-term memory

Answer 8

Information in short-term memory is either forgotten or brought into long-term memory
Well-maintained memories in long-term storage can be retrieved multiple times
Storage in long-term memory may last for a few hours, decades, or anywhere in between

Question 9

Active re-encoding…

Answer 9

alters but also strengthens memory

Question 10

How do we know about memory phases?

Answer 10

Dissociation studies, looking at patients with impaired memory

Question 11

Post-categorical processing

Answer 11

when information is processed at the level of its category

Question 12

Digit span task

Answer 12

People tend to be able to remember 7 digits at a time, plus or minus 2. Tells us about verbal short term memory capacity

Question 13

Working memory

Answer 13

short-term memory storage plus the manipulation of information

Question 14

Serial positioning effect

Answer 14

Smile curve: words at beginning and end better remembered → primacy effect (long-term memory) and recency effect (short-term memory)

Question 15

Amnesia

Answer 15

the loss of memory due to brain damage or trauma

Question 16

Retrograde amnesia

Answer 16

access to memory prior to the traumatic event causing amnesia is hindered. New memories made after the event can be stored in long-term memory

Question 17

Anterograde amnesia

Answer 17

The ability to encode information into long-term memory after the traumatic event causing amnesia is hindered. Old memories made before the event can be retrieved

Question 18

Explicit memories

Answer 18

Purposely brought into awareness (episodic and semantic)

Question 19

Episodic memory

Answer 19

the recollection of a personal experience, involving piecing together information such as time and place of that experience (managed by hippocampus)

Question 20

Semantic memory

Answer 20

the recollection of knowledge about the world, including concepts and facts

Question 21

Implicit memory

Answer 21

memories are used automatically, without conscious awareness

Question 22

Procedural memory

Answer 22

related to the acquisition of skills, managed by cerebellum and basal ganglia

Question 23

Priming

Answer 23

the increased ability to process a stimulus because of previous exposure

Question 24

Classical conditioning

Answer 24

when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus that produces a behaviour

Question 25

Encoding specificity

Answer 25

Easier to retrieve memories in the same place they were encoded

Question 26

Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

Answer 26

A type of retrieval error characterized by a high level of confidence that the item is stored in memory

Question 27

Encoding failure

Answer 27

We forget because we never properly encoded an item into long-term memory
We misjudge how much attention and effort it takes to make sure the item goes from short-term to long-term memory

Question 28

Misinformation effect

Answer 28

the decreased accuracy of episodic memories because of information provided after the event

Question 29

Judgment

Answer 29

a conclusion drawn from evidence we have at hand

Question 30

Decision

Answer 30

a choice that affects how we behave

Question 31

Choice overload

Answer 31

In certain cases, we have so many options available to us that making a rational decision is far too time consuming and/ or difficult

Question 32

Bounded rationality

Answer 32

the idea that rational decision making is constrained by limitations in people’s cognitive abilities, available information, and time

Question 33

Automatic system (1)

Answer 33

fast processing, intuitive, low mental effort and attention. Used more when we are tired, constrained for time, or overwhelmed (choice overload)

Question 34

Controlled system (2)

Answer 34

slow processing logical/ deliberate, high mental effort and attention

Question 35

Order of systems

Answer 35

Automatic system always engaged first, and we have to willfully switch to the controlled system when needed

Question 36

Emotion and reason

Answer 36

We need our intuition and emotions to be a part of our decision-making process (not emotion vs reason)

Question 37

How can decisions be manipulated?

Answer 37

Emotions play a critical role in our decisions
Since our emotions can be changed, our decisions can be changed as well