Psychology Chapter 7- Cognition

creativity

combining ideas and behaviors into new ways of doing things

availability heuristic

estimation of likelihood based on memorized examples

natural concepts

formed not as a result of a set of rules, but from real-world experiences

cognitive processing

includes concepts, prototypes, and mental images to identify objects

trial-and-error

mechanical solution through attempting to do something and seeing what works and what doesn't

thinking/cognition

mental activity that goes on in the brain when a person is processing information

Grammar includes _________ and __________.

phonemes and morphemes

confirmation bias

searching for evidence that fits one's beliefs while ignoring any evidence that doesn't support them

language

system for combining symbols so that an infinite number of meaningful statements can be made for the purpose of communicating with others

validity

the degree to which a test measures its intention

Name 3 of Gardner's multiple intelligences

verbal/linguistic, intrapersonal, visual/spacial, musical

intonation

what rhythm and emphasis to use when communicating

Can sentences have the same meaning but different syntax?

yes

morphemes

-smallest units of meaning in language -ex: playing = "play" and "ing"

heuristic

"rule of thumb" simple rule that almost always applies

standard deviation

average variation of scores from the mean

subgoals

breaking tasks into steps to make them seem less overwhelming

formal concepts

has rules and criteria

What are some divergent thinking techniques?

1. brainstorming 2. keeping a journal 3. freewriting 4. mind or subject mapping

Jean Piaget

believed that concepts become pegs for words (concepts come before language)

concepts

ideas that represent a class or category of objects, events, or activities

convergent thinking

logical problem-solving method -STICK TO THE STUFF YOU KNOWWW

ecological validity

measures if an IQ test's score reflects what it's supposed to

pragmatics

practical aspects of communicating with others such as how to take turns in a conversation and use of gestures

standardization

process of giving tests to a large group that represents the right demographic

semantics

rules for determining the meaning of words and sentences

linguistic relativity hypothesis

says that language shapes and influences thoughts -thought processes and concepts within culture are determined by words

Can animals use language?

scientists can agree that animals are capable of communication, but it is highly disputed if they are technically capable of language -all trained animals have only reached 2-year-old level of language ability, requirement is 3

norms

scores from standardization group

alogrithms

step-by-step procedures (mathematical formulas)

syntax

system of rules for combining words and phrases to form grammatically correct sentences

grammar

system of rules governing the structure and use of language

cultural bias

tendency of IQ tests to reflect in language, dialect, and content, the culture of the test designer (Adrian Dove = studied culturally fair tests)

intelligence

the ability to learn from one's experiences, aquire knowledge, and use resources effectively in adapting to new situations or solving problems

cognitive universalism

concepts are universal and influence development of language

phonemes

-basic units of sound in language -ex: the "a" in "car" vs "day"

Name 3 popular IQ tests.

1. Binet's Mental Activity Test 2. Stanford-Binet IQ 3. Wechleser Test

What are the different theories of intelligence?

1. Spearman's theory = g factor, general intelligence, s factor, specific intelligence 2. Gardner's multiple intelligences = you can excel at many things 3. Sternberg's triachtic theory

Sternberg's triachtic theory

1. analytical: break problems down for analysis 2. creative: new ways of solving problems 3. practical: street smarts, use information to increase success

What is diagnosis of intellectual disability based on?

1. deficits in intellectual functioning determined by standardized tests across 3 domains a. conceptual (memory, reasoning, language, reading, math) b. social (empathy, social judgement, interpersonal) c. practical (self-management skills including personal care)

What are the symptoms of intellectual disability?

1. person exhibits deficits in mental abilities (IQ score 2 standard deviations below average, score<70) 2. adaptive behavior (skills for independence) is severely low for person's age -symptoms must begin in developmental period -happens in 1% population

What are the different ways to solve problems?

1. trial-and-error 2. algorithms 3. heuristic

What are the causes of intellectual disability?

1. unhealthy living conditions that can affect brain development such as lead poisoning, PCB exposure, prenatural mercury, and other toxicants 2. can be associated with the malnourishment and poor living conditions of poverty 3. down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome 4. lack of oxygen at birth, fetal womb disease, infections, drug use, accident diseases

What IQ range is considered to be gifted?

130 and above, 2% of the population

What IQ range is considered to be genius?

140-145

Binet's Mental Activity Test

Alfred Binet made the test to identify children that couldn't learn so they can get remedial education

Who shattered the "nutty genius" belief?

Lewis M. Terman, who also developed the Stanford-Binet test -proved that gifted children were less susceptible to mental disease, and that they were above normal height, weight, and attractiveness -called Terman's "termites"

Stanford-Binet IQ

Lewis Terman of Stanford adopted William Stern's method for comparing mental and chronological age

functional fixedness

a block to problem solving that comes from only thinking about using things for their normal functions

Who is Kanzi?

a bonobo chimpanzee that reached 2-year-old level of language

emotional intelligence

accurate awareness and ability to manage emotions and facilitate thinking -understanding what others feel -high emotional intelligence correlates with high general intelligence

stereotype threat

being aware of negative stereotypes and individually scoring poorly

Lev Vygotsky

believed that language helps develop concepts and behavior

Standardization of tests

bell curve

prototype

concept that closely matches defined characteristics

natural experiments

circumstances in nature that can be examined to explain some phenomenon

mental set

continuing to use problem-solving techniques that have worked before

divergent thinking

creative and different thinking

script

familiar sequence of activities

representativeness heuristic

groups common characteristics as part of the same category

schemas

mental generalizations about people, places, or things

Wechleser Test

more age-specific intelligence quotient

intellectual disability

neurodevelopmental disorder

heritablity

proportion of change in IQ within a population caused by hereditary factors

Hernstein and Murray

published the book "the bell curve" and failed to address culture, validity, and concepts of heritablity -heritability only applies to differences within a group, not between groups

insight

realizing a solution suddenly ("aha" moment)

mental images

representations that stand in for objects or events and have picture-like quality

Noam Chomsky

says humans can communicate because of LAD (language acquisition device) -LAD listens to language input of an infant's world and begins to produce language in a pattern found across cultures

reliability

test producing consistent results

intelligence quotient

test that measures intelligence

superordinate concepts

the most general forms of a type of concepts, such as "animal" or "fruit"

What are the different levels of diagnosis for intellectual disability?

varies from mild to profound (profound being the worst)