Exam 3 CogPsy

• Modal Model of Memory

  A theoretical framework for understanding the structure and process of memory, Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968). It describes memory as consisting of three main components: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
• Persistence of Vision


  A phenomenon where an image continues to appear in one's vision after the exposure to the original image has ceased. Allows movies to appear fluid, despite being a series of still frames.
• Rehearsal


  Information is repeated mentally to keep it in short-term memory longer or to facilitate its transfer to long-term memory.
• Chunking


  Individual pieces of information are bound together into a meaningful whole.
• Digit Span


  Measure of STM capacity, assessed by the number of digits a person can remember and repeat back immediately.
• Baddeley's Working Memory Model


  Baddeley & Hitch(1974), working memory consists of four components: the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, the episodic buffer, and the central executive. This model explains how we hold and manipulate information in the mind in real time.
• Phonological Loop


  Part of Baddeley's model, responsible for the temporary storage and manipulation of verbal and auditory information.
• Central Executive


  Part of Baddeley's model, this acts as a control system that oversees the integration of information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer. It is crucial in tasks that require attention and problem-solving.
• Visuospatial Sketchpad


  Part of Baddeley's model used to hold and manipulate visual and spatial information.
• Episodic Buffer


  Introduced later into Baddeley's model, this component integrates information across the working memory system, interfacing between the central executive and long-term memory.
• Mental Rotation


  The cognitive process of rotating mental representations of two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects.
• Phonological Similarity Effect


  This phenomenon occurs when items in short-term memory interfere with each other because they sound similar.
• Word Length Effect


  This effect suggests that memory for lists of words is better for short words than for long words because longer words take longer to rehearse and produce.
• Serial Position Curve


  Describes a phenomenon observed when people are asked to recall a list of items in any order (free recall). Performance is better for items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of the list than for those in the middle.
• Differences between Semantic, Episodic, and Autobiographical Memory

  • Semantic: type of long-term memory involving the capacity to remember words, concepts, and numbers, which is not tied to personal experience
  • Episodic: involves the recollection of personal experiences and specific events in time, usually from a first-person perspective
  • Autobiographical: complex type of memory, includes a mixture of episodic and semantic memory concerning the narrative of one's own life
• Differences between Explicit and Implicit Memory

  • Explicit (Declarative): involves conscious recollection of information, -facts or events. Memory you can declare, remembering the name of a state capital.
  • Implicit: memory not based on conscious recall but on previous experiences manifesting in behavior. Ex., knowing how to ride a bicycle or type on a keyboard without thinking about the actions.
• Differences in Timescale between Sensory Memory, Short-term Memory, and Long-term Memory

  • Sensory: shortest-term element of memory, lasting only a fraction of a second as it processes sensory information
  • Short-term: Holds a small amount of information (approximately 7 items) in an active, readily available state for a short duration, typically around 20 seconds without rehearsal
  • Long-term: Capable of storing a vast amount of information for potentially a lifetime, with no known capacity limits
• Priming


  Process by which exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious guidance or intention. It can aid in memory consolidation by making it easier to recall related information.
• Effect of Sleep on Memory

  Consolidation of memory - the process of forming stable, long-term memories. During sleep, particularly during slow-wave and REM phases, the brain reorganizes and strengthens the connections between neurons involved in memory.
• Exemplar Approach


  Suggests that individuals categorize objects and concepts by comparing new stimuli with instances (exemplars) they have encountered before in their memory.
• Prototype Approach


  Category is represented by a mental image or prototype (average/typical features of items in that category).
• Typicality Effect


  In categorization, some members of a category are more central than others (typical items). Items closely matching the category prototype are recognized and processed more quickly.
• Rosch's Approach


  Focuses on the prototype theory. Suggests that people categorize objects by how closely they resemble a prototypical example of that category.
• Semantic Approach


  Understanding language and cognition focusing on the meaning of words and how these meanings interconnect.
• Spreading Activation


  Model of memory proposed in semantic network theories of human memory. Suggests that information is stored in the brain in a network of connected nodes. Activating one node increases the likelihood that closely associated nodes will also be activated.
• Hierarchical Structure of Language

  Language is organized in a hierarchy from smaller to larger structural units; phonemes build into words, words into phrases, and phrases into sentences.
• Rule-based Nature of Language

  Language follows syntactic and grammatical rules applied when constructing sentences.
• Universality of Language


  Human languages share certain commonalities, and language development is similar/universal across all cultures/languages.
• Lexical Ambiguity


  A single word can have multiple meanings, leading to potential confusion or multiple interpretations.
• Word Frequency Effect


  The cognitive processing of high-frequency words (words that appear more commonly in a language) is faster and more efficient than that of low-frequency words.
• Speech Segmentation


  The brain divides a continuous stream of spoken language into distinct words and units.
• Role of Executive Functioning in Bilingualism


  Executive functioning, which involves mental skills like working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control, plays a crucial role in managing two languages in bilingual individuals. Helps in switching between languages and inhibiting the use of one language while using the other.
• Recognition Point in Word Identification

  The point during word recognition which the listener can identify the word within the context of a sentence.
• Violations of Expectation in Language and Music

  This cognitive phenomenon occurs when the expected progression of sounds (in language or music) is unexpectedly altered, attracting attention and sometimes facilitating learning.
• Exemplar-based Approach for Understanding Language Similar to the exemplar approach in cognition, this theory suggests that language comprehension and production are based on the recognition and use of specific instances or examples rather than abstract rules. For example, understanding accents or dialects based on exposure to specific instances of speech.