Cognitive Psychology Terminology

adjective relating to cognition, the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses

• The study aimed to investigate the cognitive processes involved in decision-making.
• I find it fascinating how our cognitive abilities develop as we grow older.
• She's got some serious cognitive skills when it comes to problem-solving.
• His cognitive flexibility allowed him to adapt quickly to new situations.

verb to form a concept or idea in the mind; to envision or imagine

• It is important to conceptualize a clear plan before starting any project.
• I need to really think about and conceptualize my next steps in this project.
• I gotta wrap my head around this and conceptualize a solution.
• She tried to conceptualize the complexities of human emotions in her artwork.

noun a complex and confusing network of passages or paths, typically designed as a puzzle

• The hedge maze in the garden is a popular attraction for visitors.
• Let's try to find our way out of this corn maze before it gets dark.
• I feel like I'm stuck in a maze trying to navigate through this paperwork.
• Her mind was like a maze, full of twists and turns that were difficult to understand.

noun a picture created in the mind

• When reading a descriptive passage, it is important to form a clear mental picture of the scene in your mind.
• I can't really understand the story unless I have a mental picture of what's going on.
• I need to get a mental picture of the layout before we start the project.
• Her words painted a vivid mental picture of the struggles she had faced in life.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

• There was an unresemblance between the two paintings, indicating they were not by the same artist.
• I noticed an unresemblance between the twins, even though they are siblings.
• The unresemblance between the two cars was striking, one was a sports car and the other was a minivan.
• The unresemblance in their personalities made it hard to believe they were best friends.

verb to interpret or understand incorrectly

• It is important not to misperceive the intentions of others in a professional setting.
• Don't misperceive her silence as a sign of disinterest, she's just shy.
• Don't misperceive his laid-back attitude as laziness, he's just chill.
• She didn't want him to misperceive her kindness as a sign of weakness.

noun a type of long-term memory that involves the recall of specific events, often with great detail and accuracy

• The concept of flashbulb memory refers to a highly detailed, exceptionally vivid 'snapshot' of the moment and circumstances in which a piece of surprising and consequential news was heard.
• I can still remember that day like it was yesterday, it's like a flashbulb memory in my mind.
• That moment is etched in my brain like a flashbulb memory.
• The memory of that event is like a flashbulb that never stops flashing in my mind.

noun a word that can be used to refer to a specific or general entity

• The adjacency effect refers to the impact that a neighboring property can have on the value of a real estate asset.
• Living next to a park can increase your property value due to the adjacency effect.
• The adjacency effect is like when your neighbor's fancy car makes your car look cooler by association.
• In the world of marketing, the adjacency effect can be compared to the concept of 'brand halo'.