cognition and language Flashcards
what is the information-processing system?
mechanisms for receiving info representing it with symbols, and manipulating it
what is thinking?
the manipulation of mental representations
what is reaction time?
the time between the presentation of a stimulus and an overt response to it
what are influences on reaction time?
- expectancy
- complexity
- stimulus-response compatibility
- speed-accuracy trade-off
what is evoked potentials?
a small, temporary change in elctrocephalogram (EEG) voltage in the brain that is. caused by some stimulus
what is mental chronometry?
in a typical reaction-time experiment, a person is asked to say a word or push a button as rapidly as possible after a stimulus appears
what is the circle of thought?
- describe incoming info
- elaborate on it
- decide what to do
- plan how to do it
- act on plan
what is the influence of expectancy on reaction time?
people respond faster to stimuli they are expecting
what is the influence of complexity on reaction time?
the more options the longer the reaction time
what is the influence of stimulus-response compatibility on reaction time?
if the relationship between a set of stimulus and possible responses is a natural or compatible one, reaction time increases
what is the influence of speed-accuracy trade-off on reaction time?
if you attempt to respond quickly, errors increase and if you try for an error-free performance reaction time increases
what are the three concepts of mental representation?
- formal concepts
- natural concepts
- prototypes
what do propositions of mental representations express?
relationships between
how do scripts represent information mentally?
schemas about familiar activities
how do mental models represent information mentally?
- representations of situations or
- objects that guide our interaction with them
how do images and cognitive maps represent information mentally?
- mental representations of visual info
- images may be manipulated
what is belief bias as a common pitfall in reasoning?
the impact of our beliefs on our conclusions
what are common pitfalls in reasoning?
- belief bias
- errors in logical reasoning
- confirmations bias
- limits on working memory
what is confirmation bias as a common pitfall in reasoning?
seeking only evidence supporting our beliefs
what are some obstacles of problem solving
- ignoring negative evidence
- confirmation bias
- multiple hypothesis
- mental sets
- functional fixedness
what is incubation as a problem solving strategy?
stop trying to solve a problem directly
what is means-end analysis as a problem solving strategy?
break problem down and tackle each part in turn
what is working backwards as a problem solving strategy?
start with your goal in mind, keep stepping back until you get to a start point
what is analogies as a problem solving strategy?
if problem is similar to one solved before, use similar solution
what is multiple hypothesis as an obstacle to problem solving?
- we consider only a few possibilities at a time
- availability vs representativeness heuristic
what is mental sets as an obstacle to problem solving?
-sticking with a solution that has worked in other events
what are mental sets as an obstacle to problem solving based on?
anchoring heuristic
what is functional fixedness as an obstacle to problem solving?
-a tendency to use objects only in a familiar way
what are functional fixedness as an obstacle to problem solving based on?
anchoring heuristic
how can heuristics be problematic?
- anchoring
- representativeness
- availability
