AP Psychology · Unit 2
AP Psychology Unit 2: Cognition Terms, Defined
Memory is the unit where the material and the skill overlap: you are memorizing terms about memorizing. Use that. Every technique named here is one you can immediately apply to studying the rest of the course.
Cognition terms — heuristics, framing, functional fixedness — reward examples over definitions. Learn the scenario, and the label follows.
Study tip
Spaced practice beats cramming for nearly every kind of material. Three 25-minute sessions across three days will outperform one 75-minute block, and it's the single most exam-relevant thing this unit teaches you.
20 terms, defined
Encoding
Getting information into memory by converting it into a usable mental form.
Example: Turning a spoken phone number into a mental image of the keypad.
Storage
Retaining encoded information over time.
Example: Still knowing your childhood address decades later.
Retrieval
Pulling stored information back into conscious awareness.
Example: Recalling a definition mid-exam without any prompt on the page.
Sensory memory
A very brief, high-capacity record of sensory input lasting well under a second for vision.
Example: The trail a sparkler seems to leave in the dark.
Working memory
The limited-capacity system that actively holds and manipulates information right now — an update to the older 'short-term memory' idea.
Example: Holding three numbers in mind while adding them without writing anything down.
Long-term memory
The relatively permanent, effectively unlimited store of knowledge, skills, and experiences.
Example: Remembering how to ride a bike after ten years off one.
Chunking
Grouping items into meaningful units to expand how much working memory can hold.
Example: Remembering 1-4-9-2 as the year 1492 instead of four separate digits.
Mnemonic device
A memory aid that uses vivid imagery, acronyms, or organization to make material easier to retrieve.
Example: ROY G. BIV for the colors of the visible spectrum.
Spacing effect
Information studied in spread-out sessions is retained far better than the same time spent cramming.
Example: Reviewing flashcards 15 minutes a day for a week rather than two hours the night before.
Serial position effect
The tendency to best recall the first (primacy) and last (recency) items in a list.
Example: Remembering the first and last people introduced at a party, but not the middle five.
Explicit (declarative) memory
Consciously recalled facts and personal experiences.
Example: Naming the capital of France, or recalling your first day of school.
Implicit (procedural) memory
Memories expressed through skills and conditioned responses without conscious recall.
Example: Typing quickly without being able to name the key positions.
Retroactive interference
New learning disrupting recall of older information.
Example: Learning Spanish and then struggling to recall French vocabulary.
Proactive interference
Older learning disrupting recall of new information.
Example: Typing your old password out of habit after changing it.
Misinformation effect
Memory becoming distorted after exposure to misleading information following an event.
Example: Witnesses estimating faster speeds when asked how fast cars 'smashed' rather than 'hit.'
Availability heuristic
Judging how likely something is by how easily examples come to mind.
Example: Fearing plane crashes more than car accidents because crashes dominate the news.
Representativeness heuristic
Judging likelihood by how well something matches a mental prototype, ignoring base rates.
Example: Assuming a quiet, bookish stranger is a librarian rather than a salesperson — though salespeople vastly outnumber librarians.
Confirmation bias
Seeking and favoring information that supports what you already believe.
Example: Reading only the reviews that agree with the purchase you already want to make.
Functional fixedness
The inability to see an object being used in a way other than its usual one.
Example: Not realizing a coin can work as a screwdriver.
Framing
How a choice is worded changing the decision people make, even when the options are identical.
Example: '90% survival rate' feeling much better than '10% mortality rate.'
Want these as illustrated flashcards?
The free 25-term Psychology Decoder gives you the foundational vocabulary as printable, illustrated cards — plus a study system and a self-quiz. No cost, no subscription.
Get the Free 25 Terms →Do this next — 2 minutes
Take three terms and place them on the encode → store → retrieve path.
Guides for this topic
3 min read
Working Memory vs. Short-Term Memory: What's Actually Different
Working memory vs. short-term memory explained: storage versus manipulation, Baddeley's components, capacity limits, and how to use both when you study.
7 min read
Mastering Memory and Cognition: A Study Guide to 85 Essential Psychology Terms
Explore our comprehensive study guide on memory, cognition, heuristics, and cognitive biases designed to help psychology students master core concepts.
Watch the lesson
Keep going
Unit 1
Biological Bases
22 terms with examples
Unit 3
Development & Learning
22 terms with examples
Unit 4
Social & Personality
20 terms with examples
Unit 5
Mental & Physical Health
20 terms with examples
Foundations
Perspectives & Foundations
9 terms with examples
Research Methods
Research Methods
12 terms with examples
Or browse every term in the glossary.