Chapter 5 - Cognition and Consciousness Flashcards
Information-processing Model
conceptual framework to describe how mental processes affect behavior
Display-size Effect
direct relation between number of distractors in an array and the time required to locate a target stimulus among them
Feature-integration Theory
it’s easier to perform a feature search (look for key distinct feature) than it is to perform a conjunction search (look for a combo of features among distractors)
Similarity Theory
the more similar the target stimulus is to the distractor stimuli, the more difficult the search will be, regardless of the number of features
Guided Search Theory
all searches require two stages: developing a mental representation of the target and evaluating all of the activated elements to find the target
Inattentional Blindness (Perceptual Blindness)
inability to see something in plain sight because of attending to another stimulus
Change Blindness
a person’s inability to detect visual changes in a scene he or she is directly looking at
Stroop Effect
a problem with selective attention (having to differentiate the word red that is in blue ink), reading has become an automized process, we are more inclined to say red instead of blue when asked the color of the ink
Feature-based Theory
concepts placed into categories based on their defining features
Prototype Theory
concepts are grouped together by their degree of similarity to a prototype
Exemplar-based Reasoning Theory
concepts are grouped together by their degree of similarity to an exemplar
Exemplar
a specific remembered instance that is most typically thought of when a category is mentioned
Theory-based View of Meaning
concept placed into a category based on a general idea constructed from experience
Schema
a broad pattern of what is normal in a given situation
Heuristics
mental shortcuts that don’t guarantee a correct answer but narrow the problem space and simplify the problem in order to speed up the process
Hill-climb Strategy
choose the option that moves you directly towards your goal
Means-end Analysis
compare the current state to a goal state and then try to decrease this distance with the available means
Functional Fixedness
tendency to be rigid in how one thinks about an object’s function
Confirmation Bias
a type of cognitive tendency in which people search for info that confirms their preexisting beliefs
Wallas’ Stages of Creativity
- Preparation Stage
- Incubation Stage
- Illumination Stage
- Verification Stage
Subjective Utility
an individual’s judged value of something
Subjective Probability
an individual’s estimated likelihood of the event’s occurrence
Expected Value =
(subjective probability) x (subjective utility)
Availability Heuristic
a judgment is made based on the perceived frequency or likelihood of an event
Conjunction Fallacy
mistaken belief that a smaller, specific subset of a category is more probable than the larger, general set
Representativeness Heuristics
one’s judgment of an event is based on its similarity to the prototype of the population and its perceived randomness
Gambler’s Fallacy
a mistaken belief that demonstrates the errors associated with the representativeness heuristic
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) =
mental age / chronological age X 100
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
- Sensorimotor Stage
- Preoperational Stage
- Concrete Operational Stage
- Formal Operational Stage
Sensorimotor Stage
ranges from birth to 2 years old, babies attempt to understand the world thru exploring it
Stranger Anxiety
babies develop this around 8 months of age
Preoperational Stage
2-7 years old, children not able to perform mental operations, but begin to think in terms of images, signs of imaginary play
Concrete Operational Stage
7-11 years old, characterized by the ability to think logically about concrete events, inability to comprehend hypothetical or abstract concepts
Formal Operational Stage
begins around the age of 12 to adulthood, children able to think logically about abstract and hypothetical instances; capable of deductive reasoning
Learning Perspective of language development
B.F. Skinner, suggests children develop language through associative conditioning and observational learning
Nativist Perspective of language development
idea that entire complexity of language cannot be learned from experience alone, Chomsky argued that language is an innate skill for which people are predisposed
Interactionist Perspective of language development
idea that children acquire new understandings that they wish to communicate with others, based on Vygotsky
Broca’s Area
speech production
Wernicke’s Area
speech comprehension
Beta Waves
brain waves, frequency of 13-30 Hz, characterize the state of alertness on an EEG
Alpha Waves
8-13 Hz, daydreaming state, one is awake but not fully alert, leaves one more relaxed and less focused
Theta Waves
3-8 Hz, associated with even less awareness than daydreaming, often experienced just before falling asleep
Delta Waves
1-3 Hz, deep sleep, resembles a state of unconsciousness, but sleep doesn’t fully close one’s sensory and perceptual window like a coma
Two Sleep Cycles
1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, REM, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, REM
Adaptation Theory of Sleep
contend that human beings evolved to sleep during the night to conserve energy and avoid predation
Recuperation Theory of Sleep
argues being awake disrupts the body’s homeostasis and that sleep is necessary to restore it
Consolidation Theory of Sleep
propose that sleep is essential to maintain proper brain plasticity
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
circadian control center, processes info concerning the length of day and night and signals to the pineal gland
Pineal Gland
dorsal to thalamus, either to increase or decrease production of melatonin
