Cognition, Consciousness, And Language

Question 1

Describe the information processing model.

Answer 1

States that the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information much like a computer

Question 2

What influences cognitive development?

Answer 2

Brain maturation, culture, genes and environment

Question 3

What are the four stages of Piaget’s cognitive development?

Answer 3

1. Sensorimotor
2. Pre-operational
3. Concrete operational
4. Formal operational

Question 4

What is the sensorimotor stage?

Answer 4

Focuses on manipulating the environment to meet physical needs through circular reactions. Object permanence ends this stage

Question 5

What is the preoperational stage?

Answer 5

Focuses on symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and centration

Question 6

What is the concrete operational stage?

Answer 6

Focuses on understanding the feelings of others and manipulating physical (concrete) objects

Question 7

What is the formal operational stage?

Answer 7

Focuses on abstract thought and problem-solving

Question 8

Which biological factors affect cognition?

Answer 8

Organic brain disorders, genetic and chromosomal conditions, metabolic derangements and drug use

Question 9

What are the steps of problem solving?

Answer 9

1. Identification and understanding of the problem
2. Generation of potential solutions
3. Testing of potential solutions
4. Evaluation of results

Question 10

What is a mental set?

Answer 10

A pattern of approach for a given problem.

Question 11

What would an inappropriate mental set do to problem solving?

Answer 11

Could negatively impact problem solving

Question 12

What is functional fixedness?

Answer 12

The tendency to use objects only in the way they are normally utilized, which may create barriers to problem-solving

Question 13

What are the different types of problem solving?

Answer 13

1. Trial and error
2. Algorithms
3. Deductive reasoning
4. Inductive reasoning

Question 14

What are heuristics?

Answer 14

Short cuts or rules of thumb used to make decisions

Question 15

What are biases?

Answer 15

They exist when an experimenter or decision maker is unable to objectively evaluate information

Question 16

What is intuition?

Answer 16

“Gut feeling” regarding a particular decision. However, intuition can often be attributed to experience with similar situations.

Question 17

What are the seven areas of intelligence proposed in Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences?

Answer 17

1. Linguistic
2. Logical-mathematical
3. Musical
4. Visual-spatial
5. Bodily-kinesthetic
6. Interpersonal
7. Interpersonal

Question 18

What are the states of consciousness?

Answer 18

1. Alertness
2. Sleep
3. Dreaming
4. Altered states of consciousness

Question 19

What is alertness?

Answer 19

The state of being awake and able to think, perceive, process, and express information.

Question 20

What types of waves are predominant in the state of alertness?

Answer 20

Beta and alpha waves

Question 21

What is stage one of sleep?

Answer 21

Light sleep and dominated by theta waves

Question 22

What is stage two of sleep?

Answer 22

Slightly deeper sleep and includes theta waves, sleep spindles, and K complexes.

Question 23

What waves are predominant in stages 3 and 4?

Answer 23

Delta waves

Question 24

What is R.E.M. Sleep?

Answer 24

Rapid eye movement; sometimes called paradoxical sleep because the mind appears to be awake but the person is asleep.

Question 25

Describe the sleep cycle.

Answer 25

Usually lasts about 90 minutes for adults. Normal cycle is 1,2,3,4,3,2, R.E.M.

Question 26

When is REM more frequent?

Answer 26

In the mornings

Question 27

What hormone results in sleepiness?

Answer 27

Melatonin, which is released by the pineal gland in response to changes in light

Question 28

Which hormone helps with wakefulness?

Answer 28

Cortisol

Question 29

When does most dreaming occur?

Answer 29

REM sleep

Question 30

What sleep disorders are included in dyssomnias?

Answer 30

Insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and sleep deprivation.

Question 31

Which sleep disorders are included as parasomnias?

Answer 31

Night terrors and sleepwalking

Question 32

What is hypnosis?

Answer 32

A state of consciousness in which individuals appear to be in control of their normal faculties but are in a highly suggestible state.

Question 33

What is meditation?

Answer 33

Involves s quieting of the mind and is often used for relief of anxiety

Question 34

What are the groups of consciousness altering drugs?

Answer 34

Depressants, stimulants, opiates, and hallucinogens

Question 35

What are depressants?

Answer 35

They promote or mimic GABA activity in the brain. They include alcohol, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines.

Question 36

What are stimulants?

Answer 36

They increase dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin concentrations at the synaptic cleft. These include, amphetamines, cocaine, and ecstasy.

Question 37

What are opiates and opioids?

Answer 37

They are prescription pain medications such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Question 38

What is marijuana classified as?

Answer 38

Depressant, stimulant, and has hallucinogenic effects.

Question 39

What part of the brain is associated with drug addiction?

Answer 39

The Mesolimbic pathway

Question 40

What is selective attention?

Answer 40

Allows one to pay attention to a particular stimulus while determining if additional stimuli in the background require attention.

Question 41

What is divided attention?

Answer 41

It uses automatic processing to pay attention to multiple activities at once

Question 42

What are the components of language?

Answer 42

1. Phonology 2. Morphology 3. Semantics 4. Syntax 5. Pragmatics

Question 43

What is phonology?

Answer 43

Refers to the actual sound of speech

Question 44

What is morphology?

Answer 44

Refers to the building blocks of words

Question 45

What are semantics?

Answer 45

The meaning of words

Question 46

What is syntax?

Answer 46

The rules for dictating word order

Question 47

What are pragmatics?

Answer 47

Refers to the changes in language delivery depending on context

Question 48

What is the nativist (biological) theory of language?

Answer 48

Explains language acquisition as being innate and controlled by the language acquisition device

Question 49

What is the learning (behaviorist) theory of language?

Answer 49

Explains language acquisition as being controlled by operant conditioning and reinforcement by parents and caregivers

Question 50

What is the social interaction it's theory of language?

Answer 50

It explains language acquisition as being caused by a motivation to communicate and interact with others

Question 51

What is the whorfian hypothesis?

Answer 51

States that the lens through which we view and interpret the world is created by language

Question 52

Where are speech areas found in the brain?

Answer 52

The dominant hemisphere which is usually the left

Question 53

What is Broca's area for?

Answer 53

Controlling motor function of speech

Question 54

Where is language comprehension controlled?

Answer 54

Wernicke's area

Question 55

What connects Broca's area to wernickes area?

Answer 55

The arcuate fasciculus