Mods 31-36 Flashcards
memory
the persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage and retrieval of information
recall
a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test
recognition
a measure of memore in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as a multiple-choice test
Hermann Ebbinghaus
the first person to study memory scientifically and systematically; used nonsense syllables and recorded how many times he had to study a list to remember it well
frontal lobe
houses short term memories: semantic and episodic
hippocampus
a neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage
cerebellum (memory)
forms and stores implicit memories (classical conditioning)
basal ganglia and memory
procedural memory
amygdala (memory)
boosts activity in memory-forming areas to fight/flight
long-term potentiation (LTP)
an increase in a synapse’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation; believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory
flashbulb memory
a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
semantic memory
a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world
episodic memory
the collection of past personal experiences that occured at a particular time and place
priming
the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory
echoic memory
a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds
iconic memory
a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second
anterograde amnesia
an inability to form new memories
retrograde amnesia
the inability to retrieve information from one’s past
Elizabeth Loftus
her research on memory construction and the misinformation effect created doubts about the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
concepts
a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people
creativity
the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas
grammar
in a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others
language
our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning
receptive language
ability to understand what is being said
aphasia
impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage whether to broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to wernicke’s area (impairing understanding)
critical period
a specific time in development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned
Noam Chomsky
theorist who believed that humans have an inborn or “native” propensity to develop language
sensory memory
the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
short term memory (working memory)
the memory system in which information is held for a brief periods of time while being used
long-term momory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system; includes knowledge, skills, and experiences
relearning
a measure a memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time
explicit memory
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare”
automatic memory
unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings
effortful momory
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
parallel processing
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision; contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving
encoding, storage, and retrieval
a memory model which suggests that memory is formed through three processes: encoding, storage, and retrieval
context dependent memory
the theory that information learned in a particular situation or place is better remembered when in that same situation or place
state-dependent memory
the theory that information learned in a particular state of mind (e.g., depressed, happy, somber) is more easily recalled when in that same state of mind
mood congruence
the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood
serial position effect
our tendency to recall best the last and first item in a list
reconsolidation
neural processes involved when memories are recalled and then stored again for later retrieval
misinformation effect
incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event
source amnesia
attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined
components of creativity
- expertise
- imaginative thinking skills
- a venturesome personality
- intrinsic motivation
- a creative environment
divergent thinking
expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking that diverges in different directions)
convergent thinking
narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution
algorithmic thinking
the process of solving problems using a series of steps
heuristics
mental rules of thumb that subjects develop to help make sense of the world around them
mental set
a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past
confirmation bias
a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence
fixation
the inability to see a problem from a new perspective, by employing a different mental set
representative heuristic
occurs when we estimate the probability of an even based on how similar it is to a known situation
availability heuristic
estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common
framing
the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgements
belief perseverance
clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited
