GRE Psychology CH 4-8 Flashcards
(322 cards)
1
Q
Activation-synthesis hypothesis
A
a theory of dreaming that proposes that neural stimulation from the pons activates mechanisms that normally interpret visual output
2
Q
Blindsight
A
a condition in which people who are blind have some spared visual capacities in the absence of any visual awareness
3
Q
Circadian rhythms
A
the regulation of biological cycles into regular patterns
4
Q
Consciousness
A
the subjective experience of the world and of mental activity
5
Q
Dreams
A
the product of an altered state of consciousness in which images and fantasies are confused with reality
6
Q
Hypnosis
A
a social interaction during which a person, responding to suggestions, experiences changes in memory, perception, and/or voluntary action
7
Q
Insomnia
A
a disorder characterized by an inability to sleep
8
Q
Interpreter
A
a left hemisphere process that attempts to make sense of events
9
Q
Latent content
A
what a dream symbolizes, or the material that is disguised in a dream to protect the dreamer
10
Q
Manifest content
A
the plot of a dream; the way a dream is remembered
11
Q
Meditation
A
a mental procedure that focuses attention on an external object or on a sense of awareness
12
Q
Microsleeps
A
brief, unintended sleep episodes, ranging from a few seconds to a minute, caused by chronic sleep deprivation
13
Q
Narcolepsy
A
a sleep disorder in which people fall asleep during normal waking hours
14
Q
REM sleep
A
the stage of sleep marked by rapid eye movements, dreamings, and paralysis of motor systems
15
Q
Sleep apnea
A
a disorder in which a person stops breathing while sleep
16
Q
Split brain
A
a condition in which the corpus callosum is surgically cut and the two hemispheres of the brain do not receive information directly from each other
17
Q
Subliminal perception
A
information processed without conscious awareness
18
Q
Additive color mixing
A
a way to produce a given spectral pattern in which different wavelengths of lights are mixed; percept determined by interaction of wavelengths with receptors in the eye; a psychological process
19
Q
Audition
A
the sense of sound perception
20
Q
Binocular depth cues
A
cues of depth perception that arise from the fact that people have two eyes
21
Q
Binocular disparity (retinal disparity)
A
a cue of depth perception that is caused by the distance between a person’s eyes, which provides each eye with a slightly different image
22
Q
Bottom-up processing
A
a hierarchical model of pattern recognition in which data are relayed from one processing level o the next, always moving to a higher level of processing
23
Q
Cones
A
retinal cells that respond to higher levels of illumination and result in color perception
24
Q
Cornea
A
the clear outer covering of the eye
25
Eardrum (tympanic membrane)
a thin membrane, which sound waves vibrate, that marks the beginning of the middle ear
26
Fovea
the center of the retina, where cones re densely packed
27
Gustation
the sense of taste
28
Haptic sense
the sense of touch
29
Iris
the colored muscular circle on the surface of the eyes; changes shape to let in more/less light
30
Kinesthetic sense
perception of our limbs in space
31
Lateral inhibition
a visual process in which adjacent photoreceptors tend to inhibit one another
32
Monocular depth cues
cues of depth perception that are available to each eye alone
33
Olfaction
the sense of smell, which occurs when receptors in the nose respond to chemicals
34
Ofactory bulb
the brain center for smell, located below the frontal lobes
35
Olfactory epithelium
the thin layer of tissue, within the nasal cavity, that is embedded with smell receptors
36
Perception
the processing, organization, and interpretation of sensory signals; it results in an internal representation of the stimulus
37
Perceptual constancy
people correctly perceive objects as constant in their shape, size, color, and lightness, despite raw sensory data that could mislead perception
38
Pupil
the small opening in the eye; it lets in light waves
39
Receptive field
the region of visual space to which neurons in the primary visual cortex are sensitive
40
Retina
the thin inner surface of the back of the eyeball; contains the photoreceptors that transduces light into neural signals
41
Rods
retinal cells that respond to low levels of illumination and result in black-and-white perception
42
Sensation
the sense organs' responses to external stimuli and the transmission of these responses to the brain
43
Sensory adaptation
a decrease in sensitivity to a constant level of stimulation
44
Signal detection theory (SDT)
a theory of perception based on the idea that the detection of a faint stimulus requires a judgment\_it is not an all-or-none process
45
Sound wave
the pattern of the changes in air pressure through time that results in the percept of a sound
46
Subtractive color mixing
a way to produce a given spectral pattern in which the mixture occurs within the stimulus itself, a physical and not psychological process
47
Taste buds
sensory receptors that transduce taste information
48
Top-down processing
a hierarchical model of pattern recognition in which info at higher levels of processing can also influence lower, "earlier" levels in the processing hierarchy
49
Transduction
a process by which sensory receptors produce neural impulses when they receive physical or chemical stimulation
50
Vestibular sense
perception of balance
51
Acquisition
the gradual formation of an association between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli
52
Behavior modification
the use of operant-conditioning techniques to eliminate unwanted behaviors and replace them with desirable ones
53
Classical conditioning (Pavlovian)
a type of learned response that occurs when a neutral object comes to elicit a reflexive response when it is associated with a stimulus that already produces that response
54
Cognitive map
a visual/spatial mental representation of an environment
55
Conditioned response (CR)
a response that has been learned
56
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
a stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place
57
Continuous reinforcement
a type of learning in which the desired behavior is reinforced each time it occurs
58
Extinction
a process in which the conditioned response is weakened when the conditioned stimulus is repeated without the unconditioned stimulus
59
Fixed schedule
a schedule in which reinforcement is consistently provided upon each occurrence
60
Habituation
a decrease in behavioral response following repeated exposure to nonthreatening stimuli
61
Interval schedule
a schedule in which reinforcement is available after a specific unit of time
62
Latent learning
learning that takes place in the absence of reinforcement
63
Law of effect
Thorndike's general theory of learning: Any behavior that leads to a "satisfying state of affairs" will more likely occur again, and any behavior that leads to an "annoying state of affairs" will less likely occur
64
Learning
an enduring change in behavior, resulting from experience
65
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
the strengthening of a synaptic connection o that postsynaptic neurons are more easily activated
66
Meme
a unit of knowledge transferred within a culture
67
Mirror neurons
neurons that are activated during observation of others performing an action
68
Modeling
the imitation of behavior through observational learning
69
Negative punishment
punishment that occurs with the removal of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behavior's recurring
70
Negative reinforcement
the increase in the probability of a behavior's being repeated through the removal of a stimulus
71
Observational learning
learning that occurs when behaviors are acquired or modified following exposure to others performing the behavior
72
Operant / instrumental conditioning
a learning process in which the consequences of an action determine the likelihood that it will be performed in the future
73
Partial reinforcement
a type of learning in which behavior is reinforced intermittently
74
Partial-reinforcement extinction effect
the greater persistence of behavior under partial reinforcement than under continuous reinforcement
75
Phobia
an acquired fear that is out of proportion to the real threat of an object or of a situation
76
Positive punishment
punishment that occurs with the administration of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behavior's recurring
77
Positive reinforcement
the increase in the probability of a behavior's being repeated following the administration of a stimulus
78
Ratio schedule
a schedule in which reinforcement is based on the number of times the behavior occurs
79
Reinforcer
a stimulus that follows a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated
80
Rescorla-Wagner model
a cognitive model of classical conditioning; it states that the strength of the CS-US association is determined by the extent to which the unconditioned stimulus is unexpected
81
Sensitization
an increase in behavioral response following exposure to a threatening stimulus
82
Shaping
a process of operant conditioning; it involves reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior
83
Spontaneous recovery
a process in which a previously extinguished response reemerges following presentation of the conditioned stimulus
84
Stimulus discrimination
a differentiation between two similar stimuli when only one of them is consistently associated with the unconditioned stimulus
85
Stimulus generalization
occurs when stimuli that are similar but not identical to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response
86
Unconditioned response (UR)
a response that does not have to be learned, such as a reflex
87
Unconditioned stimulus (US)
a stimulus that elicits a response, such as a reflex, without any prior learning
88
Variable schedule
a schedule in which reinforcement is applied at different rates or at different times
89
Vicarious learning
learning that occurs when people learn the consequences of an action by observing others being rewarded or punished for performing the action
90
Absentmindedness
the inattentive or shallow encoding of events
91
Amnesia
deficits in long-term memory that result from disease, brain injury, or psychological trauma
92
Anterograde amnesia
an inability to form new memories
93
Blocking
the temporary ability to remember something that is known
94
Change blindness
the common failure to notice large changes in environments
95
Chunking
organizing information into meaningful units to make it easier to remember
96
Confabulation
the false recollection of episodic memory
97
Consolidation
a hypothetical process involving the transfer of contents from immediate memory into long-term memory
98
Cryptomnesia
a type of misattribution that occurs when a person thinks he or she has come up with a new idea, yet has only retrieved a stored idea and failed to attribute the idea to its proper source
99
Declarative memory
the cognitive information retrieved from explicit memory; knowledge that can be declared
100
Encoding
the processing of information so that it can be stored
101
Encoding specificity principle
any stimulus that is encoded along with an experience can later trigger memory for the experience
102
Episodic memory
memory for one's personal past experiences
103
Explicit memory
the processes involved when people remember specific information
104
Flashbulb memories
vivid memories for the circumstances in which one first learned of a surprising, consequential, and emotionally arousing event
105
Forgetting
the inability to retrieve memory from long-term storage
106
Implicit memory
the system underlying unconscious memories
107
Long-term memory (LTM)
the relatively permanent storage of information
108
Memory
the nervous system's capability to acquire and retain usable skills and knowledge
109
Memory bias
the changing of memories over time in ways consistent with prior beliefs
110
Mnemonics
strategies for improving memory
111
Modal memory model
the three-stage memory system that involves sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
112
Parallel processing
by, processing information at the same time, we can focus on targets and cues
113
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
a mental disorder that involves frequent nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks related to an earlier trauma
114
Proactive interference
when prior information inhibits the ability to remember new information
115
Procedural memory
a type of implicit memory that involves motor skills and behavioral habits
116
Prospective memory
remembering to do something at some time in the future
117
Reconsolidation
neural processes involved when memories are recalled and then stored again for later retrieval
118
Retrieval
the act of recalling or remembering stored information to use it
119
Retrieval cue
anything that helps a person (or another animal) recall information from memory
120
Retroactive interference
when new information inhibits the ability to remember old information
121
Retrograde amnesia
the condition in which people lose past memories, such as memories for events, facts, people, or even personal information
122
Schema
a hypothetical cognitive structure that helps us perceive, organize, process, and use information
123
Semantic memory
memory for knowledge about this world
124
Sensory memory
memory for sensory information that is stored briefly lose to its original sensory form
125
Serial position effect
the ability to recall items from a list depends on order of presentation, with items presented early or late in the list remembered better than those in the middle
126
Short-term memory (STM)
a limited-capacity memory system that holds information in awareness for a brief period
127
Source amnesia
a type of amnesia that occurs when a person shows memory for an event but cannot remember where he or she encountered the information
128
Source misattribution
memory distortion that occurs when people misremember the time, place, person, or circumstances involved with a memory
129
Spatial memory
memory for the physical environment; it includes things such as location of objects, direction and cognitive maps
130
Storage
the retention of encoded representations over time that corresponds to some change in the nervous system that registers the event
131
Suggestibility
the development of biased memories when people are provided with misleading information
132
Transience
the pattern of forgetting over time
133
Working memory (WM)
an active processing system that keeps different types of information available for current use
134
Analogical representations
a mental representation that has some of the physical characteristics of an object; it is analogous to the object
135
Availability heuristic
making a decision based on the answer that most easily comes to mind
136
Cognition
mental activity such as thinking or representing information
137
Concept
a mental representation that groups of categorizes object, events, or relations around common themes
138
Crystallized intelligence
knowledge acquired through experience and the ability to use that knowledge
139
Decision making
attempting to select the best alternative among several options
140
Deductive reasoning
using a belief or rule to determine if a conclusion is valid (follows logically from the belief or rule)
141
Defining attribute model
the idea that a concept is characterized by a list of features that are necessary to determine if an object is a member of the category
142
Emotional intelligence (EQ)
a form of social intelligence that emphasizes the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions to guide thoughts and actions
143
Exemplar model
information stored about the members of a category is used to determine category membership
144
Fluid intelligence
information processing in novel or complex circumstances
145
Framing
the effect of presentation on how information is perceived
146
General intelligence (g)
the idea that one general factor underlies all mental abilities
147
Heuristics
in problem solving, shortcuts (rules of thumb or informal guidelines) used to reduce the amount of thinking that is needed to move from an initial state to a goal state
148
Inductive reasoning
using examples or instances to determine if a rule or conclusion is likely to be true
149
Insight
the sudden realization of a solution to a problem
150
Intelligence
the human ability to use knowledge, solve problem, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and adapt to environmental challenges
151
Intelligence quotient (IQ)
the number computed by dividing a child's estimated mental age by chronological age and then multiplying this number by 100
152
Mental age
an assessment of a child's intellectual standing relative to that of his or her peers; determined by a comparison of the child's test score with the average score for children of each chronological age
153
Mental set
a problem solving strategy that has worked in the past
154
Multiple intelligences
the idea that people can show different skills in a variety of different domains
155
Problem solving
finding a way around an obstacle to reach a goal
156
Prototype model
an approach to object categorization that is based on the premise that within each category, some members are more representative than others
157
Reasoning
using information to determine if a conclusion is valid or reasonable
158
Representatives heuristic
a rule for categorization based on how similar the person or object is to our prototypes for that category
159
Restructuring
a new way of thinking about a problem that aids its solution
160
Stereotype threat
apprehension about confirming negative stereotypes related to one's own group
161
Symbolic representation
an abstract mental representation that does not correspond to the physical features of an object or idea
162
a theory of dreaming that proposes that neural stimulation from the pons activates mechanisms that normally interpret visual output
Activation-synthesis hypothesis
163
a condition in which people who are blind have some spared visual capacities in the absence of any visual awareness
Blindsight
164
the regulation of biological cycles into regular patterns
Circadian rhythms
165
the subjective experience of the world and of mental activity
Consciousness
166
the product of an altered state of consciousness in which images and fantasies are confused with reality
Dreams
167
a social interaction during which a person, responding to suggestions, experiences changes in memory, perception, and/or voluntary action
Hypnosis
168
a disorder characterized by an inability to sleep
Insomnia
169
a left hemisphere process that attempts to make sense of events
Interpreter
170
what a dream symbolizes, or the material that is disguised in a dream to protect the dreamer
Latent content
171
the plot of a dream; the way a dream is remembered
Manifest content
172
a mental procedure that focuses attention on an external object or on a sense of awareness
Meditation
173
brief, unintended sleep episodes, ranging from a few seconds to a minute, caused by chronic sleep deprivation
Microsleeps
174
a sleep disorder in which people fall asleep during normal waking hours
Narcolepsy
175
the stage of sleep marked by rapid eye movements, dreamings, and paralysis of motor systems
REM sleep
176
a disorder in which a person stops breathing while sleep
Sleep apnea
177
a condition in which the corpus callosum is surgically cut and the two hemispheres of the brain do not receive information directly from each other
Split brain
178
information processed without conscious awareness
Subliminal perception
179
a way to produce a given spectral pattern in which different wavelengths of lights are mixed; percept determined by interaction of wavelengths with receptors in the eye; a psychological process
Additive color mixing
180
the sense of sound perception
Audition
181
cues of depth perception that arise from the fact that people have two eyes
Binocular depth cues
182
a cue of depth perception that is caused by the distance between a person's eyes, which provides each eye with a slightly different image
Binocular disparity (retinal disparity)
183
a hierarchical model of pattern recognition in which data are relayed from one processing level o the next, always moving to a higher level of processing
Bottom-up processing
184
retinal cells that respond to higher levels of illumination and result in color perception
Cones
185
the clear outer covering of the eye
Cornea
186
a thin membrane, which sound waves vibrate, that marks the beginning of the middle ear
Eardrum (tympanic membrane)
187
the center of the retina, where cones re densely packed
Fovea
188
the sense of taste
Gustation
189
the sense of touch
Haptic sense
190
the colored muscular circle on the surface of the eyes; changes shape to let in more/less light
Iris
191
perception of our limbs in space
Kinesthetic sense
192
a visual process in which adjacent photoreceptors tend to inhibit one another
Lateral inhibition
193
cues of depth perception that are available to each eye alone
Monocular depth cues
194
the sense of smell, which occurs when receptors in the nose respond to chemicals
Olfaction
195
the brain center for smell, located below the frontal lobes
Ofactory bulb
196
the thin layer of tissue, within the nasal cavity, that is embedded with smell receptors
Olfactory epithelium
197
the processing, organization, and interpretation of sensory signals; it results in an internal representation of the stimulus
Perception
198
people correctly perceive objects as constant in their shape, size, color, and lightness, despite raw sensory data that could mislead perception
Perceptual constancy
199
the small opening in the eye; it lets in light waves
Pupil
200
the region of visual space to which neurons in the primary visual cortex are sensitive
Receptive field
201
the thin inner surface of the back of the eyeball; contains the photoreceptors that transduces light into neural signals
Retina
202
retinal cells that respond to low levels of illumination and result in black-and-white perception
Rods
203
the sense organs' responses to external stimuli and the transmission of these responses to the brain
Sensation
204
a decrease in sensitivity to a constant level of stimulation
Sensory adaptation
205
a theory of perception based on the idea that the detection of a faint stimulus requires a judgment\_it is not an all-or-none process
Signal detection theory (SDT)
206
the pattern of the changes in air pressure through time that results in the percept of a sound
Sound wave
207
a way to produce a given spectral pattern in which the mixture occurs within the stimulus itself, a physical and not psychological process
Subtractive color mixing
208
sensory receptors that transduce taste information
Taste buds
209
a hierarchical model of pattern recognition in which info at higher levels of processing can also influence lower, "earlier" levels in the processing hierarchy
Top-down processing
210
a process by which sensory receptors produce neural impulses when they receive physical or chemical stimulation
Transduction
211
perception of balance
Vestibular sense
212
the gradual formation of an association between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli
Acquisition
213
the use of operant-conditioning techniques to eliminate unwanted behaviors and replace them with desirable ones
Behavior modification
214
a type of learned response that occurs when a neutral object comes to elicit a reflexive response when it is associated with a stimulus that already produces that response
Classical conditioning (Pavlovian)
215
a visual/spatial mental representation of an environment
Cognitive map
216
a response that has been learned
Conditioned response (CR)
217
a stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
218
a type of learning in which the desired behavior is reinforced each time it occurs
Continuous reinforcement
219
a process in which the conditioned response is weakened when the conditioned stimulus is repeated without the unconditioned stimulus
Extinction
220
a schedule in which reinforcement is consistently provided upon each occurrence
Fixed schedule
221
a decrease in behavioral response following repeated exposure to nonthreatening stimuli
Habituation
222
a schedule in which reinforcement is available after a specific unit of time
Interval schedule
223
learning that takes place in the absence of reinforcement
Latent learning
224
Thorndike's general theory of learning: Any behavior that leads to a "satisfying state of affairs" will more likely occur again, and any behavior that leads to an "annoying state of affairs" will less likely occur
Law of effect
225
an enduring change in behavior, resulting from experience
Learning
226
the strengthening of a synaptic connection o that postsynaptic neurons are more easily activated
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
227
a unit of knowledge transferred within a culture
Meme
228
neurons that are activated during observation of others performing an action
Mirror neurons
229
the imitation of behavior through observational learning
Modeling
230
punishment that occurs with the removal of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behavior's recurring
Negative punishment
231
the increase in the probability of a behavior's being repeated through the removal of a stimulus
Negative reinforcement
232
learning that occurs when behaviors are acquired or modified following exposure to others performing the behavior
Observational learning
233
a learning process in which the consequences of an action determine the likelihood that it will be performed in the future
Operant / instrumental conditioning
234
a type of learning in which behavior is reinforced intermittently
Partial reinforcement
235
the greater persistence of behavior under partial reinforcement than under continuous reinforcement
Partial-reinforcement extinction effect
236
an acquired fear that is out of proportion to the real threat of an object or of a situation
Phobia
237
punishment that occurs with the administration of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behavior's recurring
Positive punishment
238
the increase in the probability of a behavior's being repeated following the administration of a stimulus
Positive reinforcement
239
a schedule in which reinforcement is based on the number of times the behavior occurs
Ratio schedule
240
a stimulus that follows a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated
Reinforcer
241
a cognitive model of classical conditioning; it states that the strength of the CS-US association is determined by the extent to which the unconditioned stimulus is unexpected
Rescorla-Wagner model
242
an increase in behavioral response following exposure to a threatening stimulus
Sensitization
243
a process of operant conditioning; it involves reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior
Shaping
244
a process in which a previously extinguished response reemerges following presentation of the conditioned stimulus
Spontaneous recovery
245
a differentiation between two similar stimuli when only one of them is consistently associated with the unconditioned stimulus
Stimulus discrimination
246
occurs when stimuli that are similar but not identical to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response
Stimulus generalization
247
a response that does not have to be learned, such as a reflex
Unconditioned response (UR)
248
a stimulus that elicits a response, such as a reflex, without any prior learning
Unconditioned stimulus (US)
249
a schedule in which reinforcement is applied at different rates or at different times
Variable schedule
250
learning that occurs when people learn the consequences of an action by observing others being rewarded or punished for performing the action
Vicarious learning
251
the inattentive or shallow encoding of events
Absentmindedness
252
deficits in long-term memory that result from disease, brain injury, or psychological trauma
Amnesia
253
an inability to form new memories
Anterograde amnesia
254
the temporary ability to remember something that is known
Blocking
255
the common failure to notice large changes in environments
Change blindness
256
organizing information into meaningful units to make it easier to remember
Chunking
257
the false recollection of episodic memory
Confabulation
258
a hypothetical process involving the transfer of contents from immediate memory into long-term memory
Consolidation
259
a type of misattribution that occurs when a person thinks he or she has come up with a new idea, yet has only retrieved a stored idea and failed to attribute the idea to its proper source
Cryptomnesia
260
the cognitive information retrieved from explicit memory; knowledge that can be declared
Declarative memory
261
the processing of information so that it can be stored
Encoding
262
any stimulus that is encoded along with an experience can later trigger memory for the experience
Encoding specificity principle
263
memory for one's personal past experiences
Episodic memory
264
the processes involved when people remember specific information
Explicit memory
265
vivid memories for the circumstances in which one first learned of a surprising, consequential, and emotionally arousing event
Flashbulb memories
266
the inability to retrieve memory from long-term storage
Forgetting
267
the system underlying unconscious memories
Implicit memory
268
the relatively permanent storage of information
Long-term memory (LTM)
269
the nervous system's capability to acquire and retain usable skills and knowledge
Memory
270
the changing of memories over time in ways consistent with prior beliefs
Memory bias
271
strategies for improving memory
Mnemonics
272
the three-stage memory system that involves sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
Modal memory model
273
by, processing information at the same time, we can focus on targets and cues
Parallel processing
274
a mental disorder that involves frequent nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks related to an earlier trauma
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
275
when prior information inhibits the ability to remember new information
Proactive interference
276
a type of implicit memory that involves motor skills and behavioral habits
Procedural memory
277
remembering to do something at some time in the future
Prospective memory
278
neural processes involved when memories are recalled and then stored again for later retrieval
Reconsolidation
279
the act of recalling or remembering stored information to use it
Retrieval
280
anything that helps a person (or another animal) recall information from memory
Retrieval cue
281
when new information inhibits the ability to remember old information
Retroactive interference
282
the condition in which people lose past memories, such as memories for events, facts, people, or even personal information
Retrograde amnesia
283
a hypothetical cognitive structure that helps us perceive, organize, process, and use information
Schema
284
memory for knowledge about this world
Semantic memory
285
memory for sensory information that is stored briefly lose to its original sensory form
Sensory memory
286
the ability to recall items from a list depends on order of presentation, with items presented early or late in the list remembered better than those in the middle
Serial position effect
287
a limited-capacity memory system that holds information in awareness for a brief period
Short-term memory (STM)
288
a type of amnesia that occurs when a person shows memory for an event but cannot remember where he or she encountered the information
Source amnesia
289
memory distortion that occurs when people misremember the time, place, person, or circumstances involved with a memory
Source misattribution
290
memory for the physical environment; it includes things such as location of objects, direction and cognitive maps
Spatial memory
291
the retention of encoded representations over time that corresponds to some change in the nervous system that registers the event
Storage
292
the development of biased memories when people are provided with misleading information
Suggestibility
293
the pattern of forgetting over time
Transience
294
an active processing system that keeps different types of information available for current use
Working memory (WM)
295
a mental representation that has some of the physical characteristics of an object; it is analogous to the object
Analogical representations
296
making a decision based on the answer that most easily comes to mind
Availability heuristic
297
mental activity such as thinking or representing information
Cognition
298
a mental representation that groups of categorizes object, events, or relations around common themes
Concept
299
knowledge acquired through experience and the ability to use that knowledge
Crystallized intelligence
300
attempting to select the best alternative among several options
Decision making
301
using a belief or rule to determine if a conclusion is valid (follows logically from the belief or rule)
Deductive reasoning
302
the idea that a concept is characterized by a list of features that are necessary to determine if an object is a member of the category
Defining attribute model
303
a form of social intelligence that emphasizes the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions to guide thoughts and actions
Emotional intelligence (EQ)
304
information stored about the members of a category is used to determine category membership
Exemplar model
305
information processing in novel or complex circumstances
Fluid intelligence
306
the effect of presentation on how information is perceived
Framing
307
the idea that one general factor underlies all mental abilities
General intelligence (g)
308
in problem solving, shortcuts (rules of thumb or informal guidelines) used to reduce the amount of thinking that is needed to move from an initial state to a goal state
Heuristics
309
using examples or instances to determine if a rule or conclusion is likely to be true
Inductive reasoning
310
the sudden realization of a solution to a problem
Insight
311
the human ability to use knowledge, solve problem, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and adapt to environmental challenges
Intelligence
312
the number computed by dividing a child's estimated mental age by chronological age and then multiplying this number by 100
Intelligence quotient (IQ)
313
an assessment of a child's intellectual standing relative to that of his or her peers; determined by a comparison of the child's test score with the average score for children of each chronological age
Mental age
314
a problem solving strategy that has worked in the past
Mental set
315
the idea that people can show different skills in a variety of different domains
Multiple intelligences
316
finding a way around an obstacle to reach a goal
Problem solving
317
an approach to object categorization that is based on the premise that within each category, some members are more representative than others
Prototype model
318
using information to determine if a conclusion is valid or reasonable
Reasoning
319
a rule for categorization based on how similar the person or object is to our prototypes for that category
Representatives heuristic
320
a new way of thinking about a problem that aids its solution
Restructuring
321
apprehension about confirming negative stereotypes related to one's own group
Stereotype threat
322
an abstract mental representation that does not correspond to the physical features of an object or idea
Symbolic representation
