IB Psychology Flashcards: Cognitive Level of Analysis
IB Psychology — Cognitive Level of Analysis Flashcard Deck
20 flashcards with spaced repetition. Press Space to flip, then rate your recall (1—4).
Key Concepts
Multi-Store Model (Atkinson-Shiffrin): Memory consists of three stores: sensory register (very brief, modality-specific, capacity determined by sense organs), short-term memory (limited capacity of approximately 7 chunks, duration of approximately 18 seconds without rehearsal, coded acoustically), and long-term memory (unlimited capacity, potentially permanent duration, coded semantically). Information must be rehearsed (maintained or elaborative) to move from STM to LTM. The MSM is supported by patient H.M. (who could form new long-term memories but not new short-term memories after hippocampal removal) and by the serial position effect (primacy and recency effects in free recall).
Working Memory Model (Baddeley): An extension of the MSM, proposing that STM is not a single store but consists of multiple components: the central executive (attention controller that directs information processing), phonological loop (verbal/acoustic information — phonological store and articulatory process), visuospatial sketchpad (visual/spatial information — visual cache and inner scribe), and episodic buffer (integrating information from other components and long-term memory). The WMM is supported by brain imaging studies showing different brain areas active during verbal and spatial tasks, and by dual-task performance studies.
Schema Theory: Schemas are mental frameworks that organise knowledge and guide perception and interpretation. They help us process information quickly by providing expectations, but can lead to errors when reality doesn’t match expectations. Bartlett’s “War of the Ghosts” study (1932) showed that people distort memories to fit existing schemas (constructive memory) — participants recalled the story in ways that made it more culturally familiar and rationalised the supernatural elements. Schemas also affect eyewitness testimony (Loftus and Palmer’s car crash study showed how leading questions activate schemas that alter memory).
Cognitive Biases: Systematic errors in thinking that affect judgment and decision-making. Confirmation bias is seeking information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence. The availability heuristic judges probability by how efficiently examples come to mind (vivid or recent events seem more probable). The anchoring effect relies too heavily on the first piece of information encountered. The fundamental attribution error overestimates dispositional factors and underestimates situational factors when explaining others’ behaviour.
Intuition
Think of memory as a library. The sensory register is the front desk where books arrive briefly. STM is the reading desk where you can only hold a few books at once. LTM is the vast archive. The central executive is the librarian deciding what gets archived. Schemas are the cataloguing system — they help you find books quickly but might misfile unusual ones. Cognitive biases are like the librarian’s bad habits — always reaching for the same shelf, ignoring unfamiliar books. The working memory model adds that the librarian has a desk (visuospatial sketchpad), a phone (phonological loop), and a filing clerk (episodic buffer) all working together.
Why it matters: Understanding how memory works explains why eyewitness testimony can be unreliable, why we make predictable errors in judgment, and how educational practices can be improved. The cognitive level of analysis reveals that our perception of reality is constructed, not directly recorded.
Common Pitfalls
- Confusing the multi-store model with the working memory model. The MSM treats STM as a single store; the WMM divides STM into multiple components. The WMM is more detailed and better supported by evidence, but the MSM provides a useful overview of memory architecture. IB exams may ask you to compare them.
- Assuming schemas only cause errors. They are essential for efficient information processing — without them, every situation would require processing from scratch. Schemas allow us to make rapid predictions and fill in missing information. The trade-off is occasional errors when schemas don’t fit.
- Confusing proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive = old memories disrupt new ones (your old phone number keeps popping up when you try to remember the new one). Retroactive = new memories disrupt old ones (learning a new language makes it harder to recall your first language). The direction of disruption determines which type.
- Forgetting to evaluate cognitive explanations. While cognitive psychology provides elegant explanations for memory and thinking, it can be reductionist (reducing complex human experience to information processing) and nomothetic (focusing on general laws rather than individual differences).
Cross-References
- Biological: Biological psychology provides the neural basis for cognitive processes — brain regions like the hippocampus (memory), prefrontal cortex (working memory), and temporal lobes (language comprehension) underpin cognitive functions.
- Abnormal: Abnormal psychology applies cognitive explanations — Beck’s cognitive triad in depression, dysfunctional schemas in OCD, and cognitive biases in anxiety disorders.
- Research Methods: Research methods are essential for investigating cognitive processes — laboratory experiments, brain imaging, and case studies all contribute evidence for cognitive models.
- Developmental: Developmental psychology examines how cognitive abilities change across the lifespan — Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and changes in memory capacity with age.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.
Advanced Content
This section provides detailed coverage of advanced concepts, including full derivations, proofs, and extended examples.
Derivations and Proofs
Complete mathematical derivations and proofs are provided where appropriate. Each step is explained to ensure understanding of the underlying reasoning.
Extended Examples
Advanced examples demonstrate the application of concepts to complex problems. These examples go beyond standard exam questions to develop deeper understanding.
Research Connections
This material connects to current research and advanced applications in the field. Understanding these connections provides context for the study material.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have mastered the prerequisite material before attempting this advanced content.