8.3 Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Memory and Cognition

Question 1

cognitive biases

Answer 1

• errors in memory or judgment that are caused by the inappropriate use of cognitive processes

Question 2

source monitoring

Answer 2

• the ability to accurately identify the source of a memory

Question 3

confirmation bias

Answer 3

• the tendency to verify and confirm our existing memories rather than to challenge and disconfirm them

Question 4

functional fixedness

Answer 4

• when schemas prevent us from seeing and using information in new and nontraditional ways

Question 5

misinformation effect

Answer 5

• errors in memory that occur when new but incorrect information influences existing accurate memories

Question 6

overconfidence

Answer 6

• when we are more certain that our memories and judgments are accurate than we should be

Question 7

salience

Answer 7

• when some stimuli, (e.g., those that are colorful, moving, or unexpected) grab our attention and make them more likely to be remembered

Question 8

representativeness heuristic

Answer 8

• tendency to make judgments according to how well the event matches our expectations

Question 9

availability heuristic

Answer 9

• idea that things that come to mind easily are seen as more common

Question 10

cognitive accesibility

Answer 10

• idea that some memories are more highly activated than others

Question 11

counterfactual thinking

Answer 11

• when we “replay” events such that they turn out differently (especially when only minor changes in the events leading up to them make a difference)

Question 12

sleeper effect

Answer 12

• attitude change that occurs over time when we forget the source of information

Question 13

flashbulb memory

Answer 13

• a vivid and emotional memory of an unusual event that people believe they remember very well

Question 14

heuristics

Answer 14

• information-processing strategies that are useful in many cases but may lead to errors when misapplied