Chapter 7: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence Flashcards
thinking
Brain activity in which people mentally manipulate information, including words, visual images, sounds, or other data.
mental images
Representations in the mind of an object or event
concepts
A mental grouping of similar objects, events, or people
prototypes
Typical, highly representative examples of a concept
algorithm
A rule that, if applied appropriately, guarantees a solution to a problem.
heuristic
A thinking strategy that may lead us to a solution to a problem or decision, but—unlike algorithms—may sometimes lead to errors.
means-ends analysis
Involves repeated tests for differences between the desired outcome and what currently exists.
insight
A sudden awareness of the relationships among various elements that had previously appeared to be independent of one another
functional fixedness
The tendency to think of an object only in terms of its
typical use.
mental set
A framework for thinking about a problem based on our prior experience with similar problems
confirmation bias
The tendency to seek out and weight more heavily
information that supports one’s initial hypothesis and to ignore contradictory information that supports alternative hypotheses or solutions
creativity
The ability to generate original ideas or solve problems in novel ways.
divergent thinking
Thinking that generates unusual, yet nonetheless appropriate, responses to problems or questions.
convergent thinking
Thinking in which a problem is viewed as having a single answer and which produces responses that are based primarily on knowledge and logic
cognitive psychology
The branch of psychology that focuses on the study of higher mental processes, including thinking, language, memory, problem solving, knowing, reasoning, judging, and decision making
language
The communication of information through symbols arranged according to systematic rules
grammar
The system of rules that determine how our thoughts can be expressed.
phonology
The study of the smallest units of speech, called phonemes.
phonemes
The smallest units of speech.
syntax
Ways in which words and phrases can be combined to form sentences.
semantics
The meaning of words and sentences.
babble
Meaningless speech-like sounds made by children from around the age of 3 months through 1 year.
telegraphic speech
Sentences in which only essential words are used.
overgeneralization
The phenomenon by which children over-apply a language rule, thereby making linguistic errors.
learning-theory approach (to language development)
The theory that language acquisition follows the principles of reinforcement and conditioning.
nativist approach (to language development)
The theory that humans are biologically pre-wired to learn language at certain times and in particular ways.
interactionist approach (to language development)
The view that language development is produced through a combination of genetically determined predispositions and environmental circumstances that help teach language.
linguistic-relativity hypothesis
The hypothesis that language shapes and may determine the way people perceive and understand the world.
intelligence
The capacity to understand the world, think rationally, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges.
g or g-factor
The single, general factor for mental ability assumed to underlie intelligence in some early theories of intelligence
fluid intelligence
Intelligence that reflects the ability to think logically, reason abstractly, and solve problems.
crystallized intelligence
The accumulation of information, knowledge, and skills that people have learned through experience and education.
theory of multiple intelligences
Gardner’s intelligence theory that proposes that there are eight distinct spheres of intelligence
practical intelligence
According to Sternberg, intelligence related to overall success in living.
emotional intelligence
The set of skills that underlie the accurate assessment,
evaluation, expression, and regulation of emotions.
intelligence tests
Tests devised to quantify a person’s level of intelligence.
mental age
The age for which a given level of performance is average or typical.
intelligence quotient (IQ)
A score that takes into account an individual’s mental and chronological ages.
reliability
The property by which tests measure consistently what they are trying to measure.
validity
The property by which tests actually measure what they are supposed to measure
norms
Standards of test performance that permit the comparison of one person’s score on a test with the scores of other individuals who have taken the same test.
intellectual disability
A condition characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills.
fetal alcohol syndrome
The most common cause of intellectual disability in newborns, occurring when the mother uses alcohol during pregnancy.
familial intellectual disability
Intellectual disability in which no apparent biological defect exists but there is a history of intellectual disability in the family.
intellectually gifted
The 2%–4% segment of the population who have IQ scores greater than 130
culture-fair IQ test
A test trial that does not discriminate against the members of any minority group.
heritability
The degree to which a characteristic is related to genetic, inherited factors.
