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Cognitive Psychology Glossary
This deck covers key terms and concepts in cognitive psychology, focusing on perception, language, brain function, and problem-solving.
Perception
The set of processes by which we recognize, organize and make sense of the sensations we receive from environmental stimuli
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
Perception
The set of processes by which we recognize, organize and make sense of the sensations we receive from environmental stimuli
Parietal lobe
Associated with somatosensory processing
Perceptual constancy
Occurs when our perception of an object remains the same even when our proximal sensation of the distal object changes
Phoneme
The smallest unit of speech sound that can be used to distinguish one utterance in a given language from another
Phonemic-restoration effect
Sounds that are missing from the speech signal are constructed by the brain so it seems to the listener that he actually heard the missing sound
Phonological loop
Briefly holds inner speech for verbal comprehension and for acoustic rehearsal
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Perception | The set of processes by which we recognize, organize and make sense of the sensations we receive from environmental stimuli |
Parietal lobe | Associated with somatosensory processing |
Perceptual constancy | Occurs when our perception of an object remains the same even when our proximal sensation of the distal object changes |
Phoneme | The smallest unit of speech sound that can be used to distinguish one utterance in a given language from another |
Phonemic-restoration effect | Sounds that are missing from the speech signal are constructed by the brain so it seems to the listener that he actually heard the missing sound |
Phonological loop | Briefly holds inner speech for verbal comprehension and for acoustic rehearsal |
Photopigments | Chemical substances that absorb light, thereby starting the complex transduction process that transforms physical electromagnetic energy into an electrochemical neural impulse. Rods and cones contain different types of photopigments. |
Photoreceptors | The third layer of the retina contains the photoreceptors, which transduce light energy into electrochemical energy |
Phrase-structure grammar | Syntactical analysis of the structure of phrases as they are used |
Pons | Serves as a relay station because it contains neural fibers that pass signals from one part of the brain to another |
Positive transfer | Occurs when the solution of an earlier problem makes it easier to solve a new problem |
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans | measure increases in glucose consumption in active brain areas during particular tasks |
pragmatic reasoning schemas | general organizing principles or rules related to particular kinds of goals |
pragmatics | the study of how people use language |
pragmatists | ones who believe that knowledge is validated by its usefulness |
premises | propositions about which arguments are made |
primacy effect | refers to superior recall at the beginning of a list |
primary motor cortex | is chiefly responsible for directing motor commands |
primary somatosensory cortex | receives information from the senses about pressure, texture, temperature and pain |
prime | a node that activates a connected node; this activation is known as the priming effect |
proactive interference | occurs when the interfering material occurs before learning of the to-be-remembered material |
problem-solving cycle | problem identification -> problem definition -> strategy formulation -> organization of information -> allocation of resources -> monitoring -> evaluation |
problem space | the universe of all possible actions |
procedural knowledge | knowledge of procedures that can be implemented |
production | the generation and output of a procedure |
production system | an ordered set of productions |
productive thinking | goes beyond the bounds of existing associations -> needs insights |
proposition | a statement which can be true or false |
propositional theory | belief suggesting that knowledge is represented only in underlying propositions, not in the form of images or words or other symbols |
prototype | an average of a class |
prototype theory | suggests that categories are formed on the basis of prototypes |