Ch. 4: Cognition, Consciousness, and Language Flashcards
definition of cognition
how our brains process and react to information
a majority of cognition functions are controlled by what section of the brain
the frontal lobe
dual-coding theory
both verbal association and visual images are used to process and store information ion our brains
information processing model
- thinking requires sensing, encoding, and storing stimuli
- stimuli must be analyzed in the brain to influence decision making
- decisions made in one situation can be extrapolated to future situations
- problem solving is dependent on cognition as well as context and complexity
Jean Piaget influenced what subsection of psychology
developmental psychology
order of piaget’s stages
sensorimotor, per operational, concrete operational, formal operational
schema
organized patterns of behavior
adaptation
how new information is processed
- assimilation
- accommodation
assimilation
adding new information to existing schemata (straightforward)
accommodation
adjustment of existing schemata to allow for new information (adjustment of a larger framework)
sensorimotor stage
- birth to 2 years
- manipulating physical environments
primary circular reactions
repetition of a BODY MOVEMENT that occurred by chance (thumb sucking)
secondary circular reactions
repetition of FOCUSED MANIPULATION the occurs outside of the body (throwing toys)
object permanence signifies then end of what stage of development
the sensorimotor stage
object permanence
understanding that objects exist when out of view
representational thought
mental images of external objects/events
preoperational stage
- 2 years to 7 years
- symbolic thinking, egocentrism, centration
symbolic thinking
playing pretend, having imagination
egocentrism
inability to imagine what another person thinks or feels
centration
tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation.
quantity or quality but not both
concrete operational stage
- 7 years to 11 years
- engaging in logical but not abstract thought
formal operational stage
- 11+ years
- abstract thought
fluid intelligence
problem-solving skills
crystallized intelligence
learned skills and knowledge
mental set
tendency to approach similar problems in the same way
functional fixedness
inability to consider how to use an object in a nontraditional manner
algorithm
formula or procedure for solving a type of problem
deductive (top-down) reasoning
starts with a set of rules and draws conclusion from information given
inductive (bottom-up) reasoning
creates bigger theories from information given
heuristics
simplified principles used to make decisions; a rule of thumb
availability heuristic
how easily something can be imagined is used to determine how likely something is to actually occur
representativeness heuristic
categorizing items on the basis prototypical or stereotypical factors
assuming something that was likely in the past is likely in the future
discomfirmation principle
evidence obtained in testing demonstrates that a solution does not work
confirmation bias
tendency to focus on information that fits and individual’s beliefs while rejecting information that goes against them
overconfidence
tendency to interpret’s one beliefs/knowledge/decisions as infallible
belief perseverance
inability to reject a held belief despite clear evidence to the contrary
intuition
acting on perceptions that may or may not be supported by available evidence
recognition-primed decision model
sorting through a wide variety of prior-knowledge in order to match with current situation
multiple intelligences
intelligence in the summation of seven subcategories
- linguistic
- logical/mathematical
- musical
- visual-spatial
- bodily-kinesthetic
- interpersonal
- intrapersonal
original formula for calculating IQ
[mental age / chronological age] x100
consciousness
one’s level of awareness of both the world and one’s own existence within it
alertness
state of consciousness in which we are awake and able to think
alertness is maintained by what area of the brain
prefrontal cortex communicating with the reticular formation
the four characteristic EEG patterns correlated with waking and sleeping
betal, alpha, theta, delta
beta waves
awake, alert and working on a task
alpha waves
awake and relaxing with eyes closed
theta waves
stage 1 of sleep, irregular waveforms and stage 2 of sleep, sleep spindles and K complexes
stages of NREM sleep
stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, stage 4
slow-wave sleep occurs during which stages
stage 3 and 4
delta waves
stage 3 and 4
when does REM sleep occur
between NREM stages
why is REM sleep referred to as paradoxical sleep
because despite being asleep and paralyzed your HR, breathing and EEG mimic wakefulness
sleep cycle
progression through various sleep stages, lasting 50 min in children and 90 min in adults
circadian rhythms
control daily cycle of waking and sleeping via biochemical signals
melatonin
serotonin-derived hormone from the pineal gland that is often released with decreasing light and stimulates sleepiness
cortisol
steroid hormone produced in the adrenal cortex that is released with increased light and stimulates wakefulness
pathway from increased light to cortisol release
increased light –> corticotropin releasing factor released from hypothalamus –> adrenocorticotropic hormone released from anterior pituitary –> cortisol released
activation-synthesis theory
dreams are caused by widespread, random activation of neural circuitry that mimics sensory activity and is synthesized with stored memories/emotions
problem-solving dream theory
dreams are a way to solve problems untethered from the obstacles of the real world
cognitive process dream theory
sleeping counterpart of stream of consciousness
neurocognitive models of dreaming
correlates subjective, cognitive aspects of dreams with physiological changes experienced while dreaming
dyssomnias
sleep disorders experienced with sleep (falling asleep, staying asleep, avoiding sleep)
insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea
parasomnias
sleep disorders abnormal movements or behaviors during sleep
night terrors, sleep walking
insomnia
difficulty falling of staying asleep
narcolepsy
lack of voluntary control (muscle and REM) over onset of sleep
sleep paralysis
sensation of being unable to move although awake
hypnagogic hallucinations
hallucinations when going to sleep
hypnopompic hallucinations
hallucinations when waking up
sleep apnea
inability to breathe during sleep
what effect does alcohol have on the GABA receptor
alcohol increases the activity of the GABA acceptor –> causing increased hyper polarization of the membrane –> resulting in generalized brain inhibition and diminished arousal
role of the GABA receptor
a chloride channel that causes hyper polarization of the membrane
alcohol myopia
short-sighted decision making d/t drinking
barbiturates
anxiety-reducing and sleep medications
benzodiazepines
anxiety-reducing and sleep medications, less prone to addiction then barbiturates
how do amphetamines stimulate the nervous system
increase arousal by increasing release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin at the synapse and decreasing their reuptake
how does cocaine stimulate the nervous system
increases arousal by decreasing reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin
how does ecstasy stimulate the nervous system
increasing release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin at the synapse and decreasing their reuptake
similar to amphetamines
how do opiates and opioids affect the nervous system
compounds bind to opioid receptors in the PNS and CNS
what effect do opiates/opioids have on the nervous system
decrease sensation to pain and cause sensation of euphoria
what pathway is drug addiction linked to
mesolimbic reward pathway
what structures are included in the mesolimbic reward pathway
- nucleus accumbent (NAc)
- ventral tegmental area (VTA)
- medial forebrain bundle (MFB)
selective attention
focusing on one part of the sensorium while ignoring other stimuli
acts as a “filter” by filtering out other stimuli
divided attention
focusing on multiple parts of the sensorium at once…multitasking
what type of processing is required for new or complex tasks
controlled (effortful) processing
what type of processing in required for familiar tasks
automatic processing
phonemes
speech sounds
morphemes
structural components of words
semantics
association of meaning with a word
syntax
how words are put together to form sentences
pragmatics
dependence of language on content and pre-existing knowledge
language acquisition device
theoretical pathway in the brain that allows children to master language during a sensitive period
Nativist/Biological theory view on language acquisition
we have an innate capacity for grammar
Learning/Behaviorist theory view on language acquisition
language learned through operant conditioning with parental/societal reinforcement
Social Interactionist theory view on language acquisition
language development is driven by a desire to interact in a social manner
Whorfian hypothesis/linguistic relativity hypothesis
our perception of reality is determined by the content of our native language
Broca’s aphasia
difficulty in producing speech, knowing words and not being able to say them, “on the tip of your tongue”
Wernicke’s aphasia
difficulty in comprehending speech, speaking nonsensically
arcuate fasiculus
bundle of axons that connects Broca’s and Wernicke’s area allowing for association between language comprehension and speech production
conduction aphasia
inability to repeat what has been said d/t disconnect between speech comprehension and production
night terrors
intense anxiety occurring during sleep, likely without waking the person
sleepwalking
periods of intense movement occurring during sleep, likely without waking the person
during what stages of the sleep cycle do night terrors and sleep walking occur
stages 3 and 4; slow wave sleep
REM rebound
earlier onset and greater duration of REM sleep following periods of sleep deprivation
hypnosis
a state in which the person appears to be in control of their normal functions but is in a highly suggestible state