Glossary
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) | The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn
Attention | The cognitive process of focusing mental resources on specific information while ignoring other stimuli
Auditory Perception | The process of interpreting sounds and speech, and how the brain processes auditory information
Behaviorism | A theoretical approach in psychology that emphasizes observable behavior over internal mental states
Bias | A systematic error in thinking or judgment, often caused by personal experiences, emotions, or cognitive limitations
Bottom-Up Processing | Perception that starts with the sensory input and builds up to a higher-level cognitive process like recognition
Cognitive Load | The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory at any given time
Cognitive Map | A mental representation of the layout of the environment, often used to navigate spaces
Cognitive Neuroscience | An interdisciplinary field that examines the connection between the brain and cognitive processes
Constructivism | A theory in which individuals construct knowledge through their experiences and interactions with the world
Developmental Cognitive Psychology | The study of how cognitive processes develop and change across the lifespan
Distributed Cognition | A perspective that views cognition as a process that is shared across people, tools, and environments
Dual-Task Interference | The phenomenon in which performance on one task is impaired when another task is performed simultaneously
Encoding | The process of transforming sensory input into a format that can be stored in memory
Executive Function | Higher-level cognitive processes such as planning, decision-making, and problem-solving that involve the prefrontal cortex
Feature Integration Theory | A theory that explains how visual features are combined to create a perception of an object
Framing Effect | A cognitive bias where people make decisions based on how information is presented, rather than the actual content
Generalization | The cognitive process of applying learned knowledge or behaviors to new, similar situations
Gestalt Psychology | A school of thought emphasizing that the whole of a perception is greater than the sum of its parts
Heuristic | A mental shortcut or rule of thumb used to simplify decision-making or problem-solving
Hub-and-Spoke Model | A model of the brain's organization where sensory modalities are integrated in a central hub, with specific areas (spokes) involved in different tasks
Implicit Memory | Unconscious memory that influences behavior without conscious awareness, such as skills or conditioned responses
Information Processing Theory | A cognitive theory that compares the mind to a computer, emphasizing how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved
Joint Attention | The shared focus of two individuals on an object or event, often studied in developmental psychology
Judgment | The cognitive process of evaluating and making decisions about information or situations
Kantian Constructivism | A theory emphasizing that perception is shaped by both sensory information and innate cognitive structures
Knowledge Representation | How information is mentally stored and organized in the brain
Learning | A relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge due to experience or practice
Long-Term Memory | A type of memory that can store large amounts of information for long periods, possibly for a lifetime
Mental Rotation | The ability to visualize and manipulate objects in the mind's eye
Metacognition | Awareness and control of one's own cognitive processes, such as thinking about thinking
Neurocognitive Disorder | A category of mental disorders that affect cognitive functions like memory, attention, and perception
Neuroplasticity | The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning or injury
Object Recognition | The cognitive process of identifying objects based on their features
Overconfidence Bias | The tendency for people to overestimate the accuracy of their knowledge or judgments
Perception | The process by which sensory information is organized and interpreted to form an understanding of the environment
Priming | A phenomenon in which exposure to one stimulus influences the response to a subsequent stimulus, often unconsciously
Problem-Solving | The cognitive process of identifying a problem and finding a solution
Prospective Memory | The ability to remember to perform an action in the future, such as remembering to take medication
Quantitative Research | Research involving numerical data, often used to study cognitive processes in large populations
Quasi-Experimental Design | A research method that examines cause-and-effect relationships but lacks random assignment to groups
Recall | The ability to retrieve information from memory without the presence of external cues
Recognition | The process of identifying information as familiar when presented with it
Reinforcement | The process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior by providing a reward or positive outcome
Schemas | Mental frameworks or structures that organize and interpret information, influencing perception and memory
Selective Attention | The ability to focus on one specific aspect of the environment while ignoring others
Serial Position Effect | A phenomenon where people tend to recall the first and last items in a list better than those in the middle
Theory of Mind | The ability to attribute mental states (beliefs, desires, intentions) to oneself and others and understand that others' behaviors are driven by their mental states
Top-Down Processing | Perception that is guided by pre-existing knowledge, expectations, or context
U-Shaped Curve | A pattern in which performance initially improves, then worsens, and then improves again over time, often seen in developmental psychology
Unconscious Processing | Cognitive processing that occurs without conscious awareness, influencing decisions and behavior
Visual Imagery | The mental representation of visual information without the presence of external stimuli
Visual Search | The cognitive process of searching for a specific object or feature within a visual scene
Wisdom | The ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on experience and understanding of life complexities
Working Memory | A system for temporarily holding and manipulating information necessary for cognitive tasks like problem-solving and reasoning
Xenophobia | A cognitive bias where people tend to have an irrational fear or dislike of people from other countries or cultures
Yawning | A behavioral and physiological response that may be linked to cognitive regulation of arousal and attention
Yerkes-Dodson Law | A theory that suggests an optimal level of arousal for performance, where too little or too much arousal impairs cognitive performance
Zeigarnik Effect | The tendency to remember uncompleted tasks better than completed ones, due to the cognitive tension created by unfinished business
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) | A concept in developmental psychology describing the difference between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance
