Chapter 4: Cognition, Consciousness, and Language Flashcards
Cognition
Looks at how our brains process and react to the incredible information overload presented to us by the world.
Information Processing model.
1) Thinking requires sensation, encoding, storage of stimuli.
2) Stimuli must be analyzed by the brain to be useful in decision making.
3) Decisions made in one situation can be extrapolated and adjusted to help solve new problems.
4) Problem solving is dependent not only on the person’s cognitive level, but also on the context and complexity of the problem.
Dual coding theory.
States that both verbal association and visual images are used to process and store information.
Cognitive Development.
Development of one’s ability to think and solve problems across the lifespan.
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.
The development of the ability to think abstractly is developed throughout childhood. Divide into lifespan into four stages of cognitive development: Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
Schema.
Organized patterns of behavior are thought as schemata. They can include a concept, behavior, or a sequence of events.
Adaptation
New information is processed. Adaptation to information comes about by two complementary processes: assimilation and accommodation.
Accommodation.
Process by which existing schemata are modified to encompass this new information.
Assimilation
Process of classifying new information into existing schemata. Use the new information does not fit needy into existing schemata, then accommodation occurs.
Sensorimotor stage.
Starting at birth and lasting until about two years of age. Child learns to manipulate the environment in order to meet physical needs and learns to coordinate sensory input with motor actions. There are two types of behavior patterns called circular reactions.
Primary circular reactions are repetition of body movements that originally occurred by chance, Like sucking on thumb.
Secondary circular reaction, when manipulations should focus on something outside the body, such as repeatedly throwing toys from a high chair.
What is the key milestone that ends the sensorimotor stage in the development?
Object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view. Object permanence marks the beginning of representational thought, in which the child has begun to create mental representation of external objects and events.
Centration
Tendency to focus only on one aspect of a phenomenon, for example the number of slices in a pizza, while ignoring other important elements.
Concrete operational stage.
Last, from about 7 to 11 years of age. In this age, children can understand conversation and consider the perspective of others. They are able to engage in logical thought as long as they are working with concrete objects or information that is directly available. They have not yet developed the ability to think abstractly.
Preoperational stage.
Last from about two to seven years of age and is characterized by symbolic thinking and egocentrism. Symbolic thinking refers to the ability to pertain, play, make believe, and have an imagination. Egocentrism referred to the inability to imagine what another person may think or feel. The inability to grasp the concept of conservation, which is the understanding that physical amount remains the same even if there’s a change in shape or appearance.
Role of culture in cognitive development.
Cognitive development is very much related to culture, as one’s culture will determine what one is expected to learn. Lev Vigodsky Propose that the engine driving cognitive development in children’s internalization of their culture, including interpersonal and societal rules, symbols, and language.
Formal operational stage.
Starts around 11 years of age and is marked by the ability to think logically about abstract ideas.
Fluid intelligence.
Consist of solving newer novel problems, possibly using creative methods. Figuring out how to navigate through a new video game world.
Crystallized Intelligence.
Is more related to solving problems using an acquired knowledge and often can be procedural.
What forms higher level of intellectual performance?
Higher level of education, more frequent performance of intellectual activities, socializing, and a simulating environment have been found to protect against intellectual decline.
Dementia
Disorders and conditions. They are characterized by a general loss of cognitive functions. Alzheimer’s disease account for approximately 60 to 80% of all Dementia cases.
Heredity, environment, and biological factors.
Actual problems with the brain itself, genetic and chromosomal conditions, metabolic derangements, and long term drug use. The environment can also affect both cognitive development and day-to-day cognition. Parity styles may influence cognitive development, and genetics can predispose to a state that may make cognitive development difficult. Intellectual disabilities in children can also be caused by chemical exposure, illness, injury, or trauma during birth. Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol Syndrome.
Delirium
Rapid fluctuation in cognitive function that is reversible and caused by medical causes.
Functional fixedness.
The inability to consider how to use an object in a non traditional manner.
Mental set.
Tendency to approach similar problems in the same way.
Types of problem solving.
Trial and error.
Algorithms.
Deductive reasoning.
Inductive reasoning.
Trial and error.
Less sophisticated type of problem solving in which various solutions are tried until one is found to that seems to work. It is only effective when there are relatively few possible solutions.
Algorithm
Is a formula procedure for solving a certain type of problem. Algorithms can be mathematical or set of instructions, designed to automatically produce the desired solution.
Deductive reasoning.
Starts from a set of our general rules and draws conclusions from the information given. Only one possible solution can be deducted based on the information given.
Inductive reasoning.
Seeks to create a theory via generalizations. This type of reasoning starts with specific instances, and then draws a conclusion from them.
Heuristics
Simplified principles used to make decisions; They are colloquially called rules of thumb.
Availability Heuristics
Use when we base the likelihood of an event on how easily examples of that may come to mind. Often the use of this leads to a correct decision, but not always. As an example, answered the following question, are there more words in English language that start with the letter K or the half K as their third letter?
Disconfirmation principle.
The evidence obtained from testing demonstrated that the solution does not work. When a potential solution to a problem fails during testing the solution should be discarded.
Representativeness Heuristics
Involves categorizing items on the basis of whether they fit the prototypical, stereotypical, or representative image of that category.
Base rate fallacy.
Using prototypical or stereotypical factors while ignoring actual numerical information.
Confirmation bias.
Tendency to focus on information that fits an individual’s belief, while rejecting information that goes against them.
Overconfidence.
Tendency to erroneously interpret ones decisions, knowledge, and beliefs as infallible.
Hindsight bias.
Tendency for people to overestimate their ability to predict the outcome of events that already happened.
Belief Perseverance.
Inability to reject a particular belief despite clear evidence to the contrary.
Intuition
Can be defined as the ability to act on perception that may not be supported by available evidence.
Recognition primed decision model.
When a person’s brain is actually sorting through a wide variety of information to match a pattern.
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence.
One of the most all-encompassing different nations with at least eight defined types of intelligence: Linguistic, logical, mathematical, musical, visual spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, interpersonal, and naturalist.
Emotion
Subjective experience of a person in a certain situation.
Interpersonal Intelligence.
Ability to detect and navigate the moods and motivation of others.
Robert Sternberg Studied how people use their intelligence.
Analytical Intelligence: Involves the ability to evaluate and reason.
Creative Intelligence: Ability to solve problems using novel methods.
Practical Intelligence: Involves dealing with everyday problems at home where I work.
Emotional intelligence.
Addresses are emotional awareness in four components: The ability to express and perceive emotions in our self and others, The ability to comprehend and analyze our emotions, The ability to regulate our emotions, and when awareness of how emotions shape our thoughts and decisions.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
Underlying variable of intelligence is often measured with standardized tests.
How is IQ measured?
IQ = mental age / chronological age x 100%
What causes variations in intellectual ability?
Genes, environment, and educational experiences. Parental expectations, socioeconomic status, and attrition have all been shown to correlate with intelligence.
Consciousness
Level of awareness of both the world and one’s own existence within that world.
States of consciousness.
Alertness, sleep, dreaming and altered states of consciousness
Alertness
State of consciousness in which we are awake and able to think. In this state we are able to perceive, process, access, and verbalize information.
Physiological Arousal
Characterized by physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and so on.
