unit 9 - memory, thinking, language Flashcards
memory
- any indication that learning has persisted over time
- our ability to store and recieve information
flashbulb memory
- a very important and emotional memory
- may make a very meaningful and strong memory
- ex. such as where you were during the 9/11 terrorist attacks
encoding
first stage of memory
encoding –> storage –> retrieval
storage
second stage of memory
encoding –> storage –> retrieval
retrieval
third stage of memory
encoding –> storage –> retrieval
information processing view of memory
working memory model
autonomic processing
memory that happens without effort
effortful processing
putting effort towards learning
rehearsal
- required for effortful processing
- conscious repetition
semantic memory
a memory based on definition
(ex. knowing what a chair is)
episodic memory
remembering an exact event
(like an episode of a tv show)
sensory memory
capacity, duration
capacity (how much): unlimited
duration: depends on the sense, but in essence, a split second
iconic memory: sensory memory of sight = .5 seconds
echoic memory: sensory memory for sound = 3-4 seconds
hepatic memory: sensory memory for touch = <1 second
short term memory
capacity, duration
capacity (how much): 7 +- 2 (5-9)
duration: 20 seconds
long term memory
capacity, duration
capacity (how much): unlimited
duration: could be forever
ebbinghaus curve: you forget most of what you learned, but what sticks stays for a long time
next-in-line effect
when in a group where each person speaks, you will forget the person’s speech who spoke right before yours
spacing effect
we learn better by studying in small bursts rather than in one large session
serial position effect
you will have a strong recall for items at the beginning and end of a list
semantic encoding
your strongest memories are created this way
visual encoding
encoding by the way something looks
mnemonics
ex. memory trick
method of loci
visualize each item in a different room in your house
link method
combine each item into a story
chunking
putting items into a meaningful unit
memory hierarchy
making different levels and sublevels by categories
echoic memory
sensory memory for sound
- 3-4 seconds
iconic memory
sensory memory of sight
- 0.5 seconds
hepatic memory
sensory memory for touch
- less than 1 second
long term potentiation (LTP)
current research into memories links them with the strengthening of synapses between neurons, and particularly to the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin
stress and memory
a little stress is good for storing memories, but too much stress is not
anterograde amnesia
when you remember everything before a certain event, but cannot form new memories after
explicit (declarative) memory
what is it?
- memory that you can state and prove you know
anterograde amnesia
- cannot form new explicit memories
- hippocampus
implicit (procedural) memory
what is it?
- memories that you must do an action to prove
anterograde amnesia
- can form new implicit memories
- cerebellum
hippocampus and memory
explicit memory
cerebellum and memory
implicit memory
recognition
identify an item amongst other choices
(ex. multiple choice)
recall
directly retrieve information
(ex. fill-in-the-blank)
relearning
learns something faster the second time they learn it
retrieval cues
a web of associations that help you recall things from your memory
priming
refers to the process of activating strands from your memory to help you remember a particular piece of information
state dependent memory
the best way to retrieve a memory is to place yourself in the exact same situation that you learned that memory in
deja vu
- feeling of “I’ve experienced this before”
- most psychologists believe this is just your brain tricking you and recalling a similar experience that your have had in the past
mood congruent memory
the memories you retrieve most often match the current mood that you are in
ex. if you are happy you remember happy things
encoding failure
the memory doesn’t even get into your brain
storage decay
the memory is put into the brain but is lost over time
retrieval failure
the memory is in your brain but you don’t know how to get to it
(tip of the tongue phenomenon)
proactive interference
something old makes you forget something new
retroactive interference
something new makes you forget something old
motivated forgetting
people try to block out unwanted memories
repression
freud’s defense mechanism that uncontiously blocked out unwanted memories
a type of motivated forgetting
misinformation effect
when you encorportate misleading information into your brain of an event
source amnesia
attribiuting an event to the wrong source that we experienced, heard, read, or imagined
(ex. believing you thought up a song when you actually heard the lyrics from another artist)
thinking
- or cognition
- a process that involves knowing, understanding, remembering, and communicating
concept
mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people
prototype
we form concepts with mental image of the best thing that will fit a given concept
ex. robin is a bird, but penguin is not
hierarchies of thinking
break out like things (organizing)
algorithm
try every possible combiniation until you find the correct answer (accurate but time consuming)
heuristic
mental shortcut that allow us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently, less time consuming, but can lead to mistakes.
insight
when you just know the answer to a problem immediately
confirmation bias
when you look for facts that prove your point, while distregarding facts that don’t
fixation
an inability to see another solution to a problem
mental set
a tendency to keep solving a problem the same way, even if there is a better solution
ex. kicking a heater rather than calling for help
functional fixedness
tendency to only think of the main purpose of an object
ex. matchbox and candle on bulletin board
representative heuristic
something matches your prototype you automatically think it is the correct answer, often this can lead to incorrect assumptions
ex. if it fits your idea in your head, you likely think it is true
avaliability heuristic
states that memorable things seem common
ex. slot machines in vegas
overconfidence
a tendency overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgements
exaggerated fear
a fear of something that poses little to no danger
framing
when someone states something in a way that sounds favorable
ex. $10 cash, $10.50 credit card
belief bias
refers to a person’s preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning by making invalid conclusions
belief perservance
when a person clings to their beliefs even when there is evidence that those beliefs are incorrect
language
our spoken, written, or gestured work, is the way that we communicate meaning to ourselves and others
phenomes
the smallest distinct sound unit in a spoken language
morphemes
- the smallest unit that carries meaning
- word or part of word
grammar
the system of rules in a language that enables us to communicate with and understand each other
semantics
a set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences
syntax
consists of the rules for putting words in the correct order within a sentence
babbling stage
- 4 months
- spontaneously utters various sounds
one word stage
- 1 year
- ex. doggy –> look at the dog out there
two word stage (telegraphic speech)
- 2 years
- (telegraphic speech)
- “go car” –> “i would like to go for a ride in car”
operant learning theory of language
- B.F. Skinner
- theory that language is learned by experience through rewards and punishments
- nurture
inborn universal grammar theory of language
- Noam Chomsky
- theory that language is so complicated, and we learn it so much faster than anything else as kids, that the fundamentals for language must already exist in the brain at birth. (he called this part of the brain the language acquisition device)
- nature
critical period hypothesis
- theory that there is a certain time where language is learned easiest (critical period), but you must still be taught language to learn it
- nature and nurture
linguistic determination
created by whorf, states that the words you know affect what you think about
(caution: this is a theory and not a fact, many psychologists have conflicting research and do not believe this)
