3 (cognitive) Flashcards
SCHEMA THEORY
Schema theory is the theory that our knowledge is organized and categorized which influences our cognition and behavior. The schema within our brains affects our ability to comprehend new information. The schema helps us make sense of things and make generalizations about things. Schema theory is explored in Loftus and Palmer’s study.
LOFTUS & PALMER: The aim of Loftus & Palmer’s study was to investigate whether the use of leading questions affected the estimation of speed. The procedure involved participants in different groups being shown a traffic accident, then asked to estimate the speed the cars were going when they hit each other. The word “hit” in the critical question was altered for similar words based on the group it was asked in. The results found that the estimates of speed were highest when using the word “smashed” and lowest when using the word “contacted”.
RECONSTRUCTIVE MEMORY THEORY
Reconstructive memory is the theory that when memories are accessed, they’re not retrieved as a whole memory, but as independent memories put together. The reconstructive memory theory claims that we alter our stored memories based on our prior knowledge and/or personal beliefs. The reconstructive memory theory is explored in the Loftus & Palmer study.
LOFTUS & PALMER: The aim of Loftus & Palmer’s study was to investigate whether the use of leading questions affected the estimation of speed. The procedure involved participants in different groups being shown a traffic accident, then asked to estimate the speed the cars were going when they hit each other. The word “hit” in the critical question was altered for similar words based on the group it was asked in. The results found that the estimates of speed were highest when using the word “smashed” and lowest when using the word “contacted”.
FLASHBULB MEMORY
Flashbulb memories are highly detailed memories where surprising or personally relevant news was received. Within these memories, people are able to recall what they were doing, who they were with, and/or who told them. Flashbulb memories are investigated in Brown & Kulik’s study.
BROWN & KULIK: The aim of Brown & Kulik study was to investigate whether surprising and personally significant events could cause flashbulb memory. The procedure involved participants being given a questionnaire regarding the deaths of public figures and people they personally knew. The results found that 90% of participants recalled a significant amount of detail about the day the events occurred. Additionally, 75% of black participants had flashbulb memories on the day of MLK’s death, whereas only 33% of white participants did.
DUAL PROCESSING THEORY
The dual processing theory refers to thinking/decision making having two different processes, system 1 versus system 2 thinking. System 1 thinking is automatic, and therefore is prone to error. It uses past experience, established by the schema, in order to make quick decisions. However, system 2 thinking requires concentration and effort, and therefore is more reliable. The dual processing theory is investigated in Alter et al’s study.
ALTER ET AL: The aim of Alter et al’s study was to find out whether decreasing the legibility of the font on a test would produce more accurate responses. The procedure involved the fluent group receiving the easy-to-read font, whereas the non-fluent group received the hard-to-read font. The results found that there was a higher degree of accuracy among the participants in the non-fluent group. This study supports the dual processing theory because it demonstrates how difficult tasks, such as having to decipher a font, required concentration and effort (system 2 thinking), which produced more accurate results.
MULTI-STORE MODEL
ANCHORING BIAS
Anchoring bias refers to the tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information given (when you don’t know the answer of something) which influences our judgment/decisions. Anchoring bias is explored in Strack & Mussweiler’s study.
STRACK & MUSSWEILER: The aim of Strack & Mussweiler’s study was to test the influence of anchoring bias on decision making. The procedure involved 69 German undergraduates being given a general knowledge questionnaire. Within the questionnaire, one group of participants was given the high anchor question, which asked participants if Gandhi died before or after the age of 140, or the low anchor question, which asked participants if Gandhi died before or after the age of 9. The participants were then asked to estimate when they believed Gandhi died. The results found that the average estimate of Gandhi’s age in the high anchor group was 67, whereas the average estimate of Gandhi’s age in the low anchor group was 50.
