AP Psychology: Unit 2 Summary on Cognition

Introduction

• Instructor: Mr. Sin
• Focus: Cognition concepts in AP Psychology
• Resources: Study guide and ultimate review packet available in video description
• Key Advice: Be active in learning; notes and answer keys available for double-checking

Perception vs Sensation

• Perception: Interpreting information from five senses
• Sensation: Raw data received from sensory receptors
• Key Difference:
  • Sensation: Detecting stimulus
  • Perception: Interpreting stimulus

Types of Processing

• Top-Down Processing: Utilizes prior knowledge and experiences
  • Efficient but may overlook errors (e.g., proofreader’s illusion)
  • Influenced by expectations
• Bottom-Up Processing: Builds perception from ground up
  • Used for complex and unfamiliar stimuli

Perception Influences

• Schemas: Mental frameworks based on experiences
  • Guide interpretation and expectations (e.g., predicting family party activities)
• Perceptual Sets: Mental shortcuts influenced by emotions and expectations
  • Can skew perception based on mood, culture, etc.

Attention and Perception

• Selective Attention: Focus on specific stimuli, filtering out others
  • Cocktail Party Effect: Ability to focus in noisy environments
• Divided Attention: Leads to inattentional blindness
  • Change Blindness: Failure to notice environment changes

Motion Phenomena

• Apparent Movement: Perception of motion in still images
  • Stroboscopic Motion: Rapid succession images
  • Phi Phenomenon: Blinking lights creating motion illusion

Gestalt Principles

• Figure and Ground: Distinguish object from background
• Continuation: Follow continuous lines
• Closure: Fill in missing information
• Similarity: Group similar objects
• Proximity: Objects close together seen as a group
• Symmetry: Symmetrical objects perceived as one unit

Depth Perception

• Binocular Cues: Use both eyes for depth (e.g., convergence, retinal disparity)
• Monocular Cues: Use one eye for depth (e.g., relative size, interposition)

Perceptual Constancies

• Size, shape, color, lightness constancy: Perceive objects consistently despite changes

Cognition: Thinking and Problem Solving

• Concepts, Prototypes, Schemas: Organize and interpret information
• Algorithms vs. Heuristics: Systematic vs. mental shortcuts
• Cognitive Biases: Mental sets, priming, framing influence decision making

Creativity

• Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking: Exploring vs. narrowing solutions
• Components: Expertise, imaginative thinking, venturesome personality, intrinsic motivation, creative environment

Memory

• Types: Explicit, implicit, prospective
• Retention: Recall, recognition, relearning
• Long-Term Potentiation: Strengthening synaptic connections
• Working Memory Model: Visual-spatial sketchpad, phonological loop, central executive, episodic buffer
• Multi-Store Model: Sensory, short-term, long-term memory

Encoding Memories

• Types of Encoding: Visual, acoustic, tactile, organizational, elaborative, semantic
• Mnemonic Devices: Method of loci, chunking
• Serial Position Effect: Remembering start/end of lists

Storing Memories

• Sensory Memory: Brief and large capacity
• Short-term/Working Memory: Limited capacity, temporary
• Long-term Memory: Unlimited capacity
• Emotional Influence: Flashbulb memories
• Amnesia Types: Anterograde, retrograde, source, infantile

Retrieving Memories

• Recall vs. Recognition: Without cues vs. with cues
• Context, Mood, State Dependent Memory: Retrieval influenced by conditions
• Forgetting: Decay, interference, repression

Intelligence

• General vs. Multiple Abilities: Debate on intelligence nature
• Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence: Reasoning vs. accumulated knowledge
• Fixed vs. Growth Mindset: Intelligence as innate vs. developed
• IQ Tests: Evolution, biases, Flynn effect

Academic Testing

• Achievement Tests: Measure learned knowledge
• Aptitude Tests: Predict future performance

Final Reminders:

• Use the ultimate review packet for quizzes and resources
• Focus on understanding key concepts for better retention and application
• Embrace active learning practices for success in AP Psychology