Ch. 4 Thought & Emotion Flashcards
Define cognition
Cognition refers to a wide range of internal mental activities, such as analyzing information, generating ideas, and problem solving.
Define perception
Refers to the organization and identification of sensory inputs.
Information-processing models
Focus on input-output functions and distinguish between serial and parallel processing of information.
Serial processing
Considers each input one as a time.
Parallel processing
Devotes cognitive resources to multiple inputs at once.
Stages of cognitive development
- Sensorimotor: (birth to 2 years)
- Pre operational: (2-7 years)
- Concrete Operational (7-11 years)
- Formal Operational (11 years and older)
Broca’s area
Is located in the frontal lobe, and is primarily involved in speech production.
When patients experience damage to this area, they have difficulty enunciating and speaking fluently, but their ability to understand the language is unaffected- a condition known as Broca’s aphasia or expressive aphasia
Wernicke’s area
Is found in the temporal lobe, and contributed primarily to the understanding of language.
Patients with damage to Wernicke’s area can hear words and repeat them back, but cannot understand the words meaning. This condition is called Wernicke’s aphasia or receptive aphasia
Intelligence
Can be defined as the ability to understand and reason with complex ideas, adapt effectively to the environment, and learn from experience.
IQ (intelligence quotient)
The intent of IQ is to predict school performance and therefore correlates strongly with school-related skills, like math and verbal skills, but has lower correlations with other skills such as art and design.
G (general intelligence factor)
Is divided into two types of intelligence.
Fluid intelligence- the ability to think logically without the need for previously learned knowledge.
and;
Crystallized intelligence - the ability to think logically, using specific, previously learned knowledge, which remains stable throughout adulthood.
Howard Garder’s theory of multiple intelligences
Proposes that everyone has a variety of intelligences that are used in combination to solve problems and perform tasks.
Linguistic intelligence Musical intelligence Logical-mathematical intelligence Spatial intelligence Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence Interpersonal intelligence
Sternberg’s triarchic theory
He Believed that intelligence emerges from a persons adaptive abilities.
Analytical intelligence- which refers to problem solving abilities.
Creative intelligence- which describes the ability to handle new situations using existing skills and experiences.
Practical intelligence- which invokes the ability to respond to environmental changes.
Emotional intelligence
Has four components
- Perceiving emotions
- Using and reasoning with emotions:
- Understanding emotions:
- Managing emotions:
Hereditary influences on cognition and intelligence
In some cases of below average IQ the general learning disability can be traced to a genetic disorder.
Ex. Phenylketonuria, in which children are unable to metabolize phenylalanine, causes a damaging build up in the brain.
List some environmental influences on cognition and intelligence
The prenatal (in utero) environment can have a lasting impact on cognitive and intellectual abilities. Both acute and chronic conditions affecting a pregnant woman can lead to general learning disability in the child.
Ex. Acute contraction of rubella, herpes, or syphilis.
(SES) significantly influences children cognitive development as well.
Algorithm
Step by step procedure that leads to a defined solution. Note- it is not always the most efficient.
Analogies
Allows a new problem to be reduced to a previously known problem, where prior knowledge of how to determine the solution can be applied.
Trial and error
Method of problem solving is characterized by repeated, unsystematic attempts to solve a problem until the desired outcome is achieved.
Heuristics
Are mental shortcuts or “rules of thumb” that often lead to a solution (but not always.)
Intuition
In problem solving is based on personal perception or feeling rather than logic.
Cognitive biases
Are various tendencies to think in particular ways, which can be helpful but can also inhibit problem solving abilities.
Belief perseverance
Phenomenon in which people hold on to their initial beliefs, even when rational argument would suggest that they are incorrect.
Overconfidence
Can be an example of belief perseverance; in this case, information that should logically undermine confidence to some extent is overlooked.
Fundamental attribution error
Is a tendency to attribute others’ actions to internal factors like personality, rather than external circumstances.
Self-serving bias
The tendency to attribute our own actions to external circumstances.
Emotion
Is a multifaceted experience that is connected to thought, physiology, and behavior. Emotion can be divided into 3 components.
- Cognitive emotion
- Physiological emotion
- Behavioral emotion
Cognitive emotion
Includes a personal assessment of the significance is a particular situation.
Physiological emotion
Are often associated with activation of the autonomic nervous system. For example, a racing heartbeat and sweaty palms may be a manifestation of fear or anxiety.
Behavioral emotion
Can lead to urges to act a certain way and thereby lead to actions. If provoked in an argument one may feel the behavioral urge to retaliate physically.
