Unit 3A- Cognition Flashcards
Algorithm
Step-by-step process of solving a problem
Heuristic
a mental shortcut to solve a problem based off past experiences
Representativeness Heuristic
Making judgements in a situation based on our previous prototypes
Ex. The president gave a speech last week- We assume the president is male given our prototype for political leadership
Availability Heuristic
Making judgements or decisions based off the information we have been exposed to
Ex. We think Chicago is deadlier than Kansas City because we hear about it on the news, but more people die in Kansas City every year.
Confirmation Bias
When you look for information that only serves your viewpoint and ignore any information that does not serve your viewpoint
Ex. Skip Bayless thinks Michael Jordan is the GOAT and ignores the fact that LeBron James has passed him in most statistics.
Fixation
You become stuck on a certain problem solving technique
Mental Set
The way you approach a problem
Functional Fixedness
When you believe an object is good ONLY for its intended purpose
Ex. Stuck needing a screwdriver, but not realizing you could use a pair of scissors to screw in a screw in a pinch
Framing
The way something is worded affects the response
Ex. Soap kills 99% of Germs
vs. Soap allows 1% of germs to survive.
Belief Perseverance
Continuing to believe something to be true, even after it’s been proven wrong
Schema
A mental category for information
Ex. we have a schema for sports
Prototype
The best example for a specific schema
Ex. When you think of a tree, what does it look like
Phoneme
Smallest unit of sound in language (not letters)
Ex. ch- is a phoneme that makes a specific sound, even though it combines letters.
Morphemes
Smallest unit of meaning in language (can be short words, prefixes, suffixes, plurals)
Ex. Chip is one morpheme, Chips is 2, the extra - means more than 1
Sensory Memory
Smallest unit of memory (3-5 sec.) most do not get encoded
Short-Term Memory
Working memory, information we use temporarily. If we need it, we store it, if we don’t we forget it.
- can hold 7 + or - 2 things
Long-Term Memory
- our infinite storage capacity. information can stay here forever
- Stored in the hippocampus
Encoding
Getting information into our brain
storage
keeping information in our brain
retrieval
getting information out of our brain so we can use it
rehearsal
repeating information over and over again aids in recall
Distributed Practice
Spreading studying into small chunks over time rather than all at once (massed practice)
Serial Position Effect
We remember information based on the order presented to us. We typically remember the first words on a list (primacy effect) or the last words on a list (recency effect)
Long Term Potentiation
The neurons that fire to establish long term memory
Flashbulb Memory
Remembering vivid details of an emotionally significant event (almost like a mental photograph)
Ex. Remembering what your dad smelled like when he returned home from war
Episodic memory
Remembering specific events, situations, and experiences
Ex. Your friend’s birthday party
Amnesia
Forgetting a memory
Implicit Memory
The memory of skills (walking, running, writing, etc.)
- Stored in the cerebellum
Explicit memory
The memory of facts or information
- Stored in the hippocampus
Recall
Remembering all the information from memory
Ex- FRQs
Recognition
Remembering based off of a stimulus
Ex- Multiple choice questions, remembering lyrics to a song after the music starts
Mood Congruent Memory
Memories created under a certain emotion are more likely remembered when we experience that emotion again
Ex. When we are angry we tend to remember other things that made us angry
State-Dependent Memory
Memories created in a certain mental state are more likely remembered when we return to that mental state
Ex. Joe lost his keys when he was drunk, when he got drunk again, he remembered where he put his keys
Context-Dependent Memory
Our environment can become a cue for certain memories
Ex. Walking back into KIPP after you graduated, you remember memories that happened there
Proactive Interference
When old information affects our ability to remember new information (PORN)
Ex. Changed your password, can only remember the old one
Retroactive Interference
When new information affects our ability to remember old information (PORN)
Ex. Got a new phone number cant remember your old one
Overjustification Effect
When you are rewarded for something you enjoy doing, you stop getting enjoyment from it
Ex. Professional athletes retiring early because the sport is “no longer fun”
Self-fulfilling prophecy
When you believe something will happen and it comes true
Ex. John believed he would fail on the test and he failed.
Peripheral Route to Persuasion
Information OTHER than the facts that affects our decision
Ex. We bought a pair of Jordan’s because someone said they were cool as opposed to them being good shoes
Central Route to Persuasion
When we are convinced based on the fact or information
Ex. We wear a mask because it lowers the risk of transmitting COVID
