Cognition, Consciousness and Language Flashcards
cognition
how our brains process and react to information
dual-coding theory
states that both verbal association and visual images are used to process and store information
information processing model
- thinking requires sensation, encoding and storage of stimuli
- stimuli muse be analyzed by the brain (rather than responded to automatically) in useful decision making
- decisions made in one situation can be extrapolated and adjusted to help solve new problems
- problem solving is dependent not only on the person’s cognitive level but also on the context and complexity of the problem
cognitive development
development of one’s ability to think and solve problems across the lifespan
Jean Piaget
influential figure in developmental psych
schema
pattern that includes a concept, a behavior or a sequence of events
adaptation
how new information is processed
assimilation
process of classifying new information into an existing schema
accomodation
process by which a schema is modified to encompass new information that does not fit into an existing schema
sensorimotor state
first state of cognitive development; birth-2yo; circular reactions begin; end of sensorimotor stage is marked by development of object permanence
primary circular reactions
repetition of a body movement that originally occurred by chance, such as sucking the thumb
secondary circular reactions
manipulation is focused on something outside the body, such as repeatedly throwing a toy
representational thought
marked by dvlpmt of object permanence; child has begin to create mental representations of external objects and events
preoperational stage
2yo-7yo; characterized by symbolic thinking, egocentrism and centration
symbolic thinking
ability to pretend, play make believe and have an imagination
centration
tendency to focus on only one aspect of a phenomenon, or inability to understand the concept of conservation
concrete operational stage
7yo-11yo; children can understand conservation and consider the perspectives of others; able to engage in logical though as long as they are working with concrete objects or information that is directly available; can not yet think abstractly
formal operational stage
11yo-; ability to think logically about abstract ideas
Lev Vygotsky
educational psychologist; proposed that the engine driving cognitive development is the child’s internalization of their culture
fluid intelligence
problem-solving skills
crystallized intelligence
related to the use of learned skills and knowledge
delirium
rapid fluctuation in cognitive function that is reversible and caused by medical causes
mental set
tendency to approach similar problems in the same way
functional fixedness
inability to consider how to use an object in a nontraditional manner
algorithm
formula or procedure for solving a certain type of problem
deductive (top-down) reasoning
starts from a set of general rule and draws conclusions from the information given
inductive (bottum-up) reasoning
seeks to create a theory via generalizations
heuristics (rules of thumb)
simplified principles used to make decisions
availability heuristic
used when we try to decide how likely something is
representativeness heuristic
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
disconfirmation principle
evidence obtained from testing demonstrated that the solution does not work
confirmation bias
tendency to focus on information that fits an individuals beliefs while rejecting information that goes against them
overconfidence
tendency to erroneously interpret one’s decisions, knowledge, and beliefs as infallible
belief perseverance
refers to the inability to reject a particular belief despite clear evidence to the contrary
recognition-primed decision model
sorting through a wide variety of information to match n event at hand to a pattern
multiple intelligences
seven types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal
IQ (intelligence quotient) calculation
mental age/chronological age X 100
reticular formation
neural structure in the brainstem that functions to keep the cortex awake and alert
electroencephalography (EEG)
sleep is studied using this to record brain wave activity occurring during the course of a night’s sleep
beta waves
high frequency; occur when person is awake and attending to a mental task that requires attention
alpha waves
occur when we are awake but relaxing with our eyes closed; somewhat slower than beta waves
Stage 1 sleep
detected by appearance of theta waves; irregular wave forms with slower frequencies and higher voltages
Stage 2 sleep
theta waves along with sleep spindles and K complexes
Stages 3 and 4 sleep
known as slow-wave sleep (SWS); SWS has been associated with cognitive recovery and memory consolidation, as well as increased growth hormone release
delta waves
low frequency, high voltage
non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM)
stages 1-4
rapid eye movement sleep (REM)
interspersed between cycles of NREM sleep; arousal levels reach that of wake cycle but muscles are paralyzed; dreaming; memory consolidation;
sleep cycle
single complete progression through the sleep stages
pineal gland
releases melatonin which regulates circadian rhythm
cortisol
steroid hormone produced in the adrenal cortex; related to sleep-wake cycle
corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)
causes release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary, which stimulates cortisone release; cortisol contributes to wakefulness
activation-synthesis theory
dreams are cased by widespread, random neural activity
problem-solving dream theory
dreams are a way to solve problems while sleeping
cognitive process dream theory
dreams are merely the sleeping counterpart of stream-of-consciousness
neurocognitive models of dreaming
seek to nigh biological and psychological perspectives on dreaming
dyssomnias
disorders that make it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep or avoid sleep
parasomnias
abnormal movements or behaviors during sleep
insomnia
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
narcolepsy
lack of voluntary control over the onset of sleep
cataplexy
loss of muscle control and sudden intrusion of REM sleep during waking hours
sleep paralysis
sensation of being unable to move despite being awake
sleep apnea
inability to breathe during sleep
night terrors
periods of intense anxiety that occur during slow-wave sleep
REM rebound
earlier onset and greater duration of REM sleep compared to normal
hypnosis
highly suggestible state
alcohol
increases activity of the GABA receptor, a chloride channel that causes hyper polarization of the membrane; increases dopamine levels, causing a sense of mild euphoria;
alcohol myopia
inability to recognize consequences of actions
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) and characterized by severe memory impairment with changes in mental status and loss of motor skills
barbiturates and benzodiazepines
anxiety-reducing and sleep medications; increase GABA activity, causing sense of relaxation
amphetamines
increased arousal by decreasing release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin at the synapse and decreasing their reuptake; increase in heart rate and blood pressure; prolonged use can cause stroke or brain damage; withdrawal
cocaine
increased arousal by decreasing release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin at the synapse and decreasing their reuptake; increase in heart rate and blood pressure; prolonged use can cause stroke or brain damage; withdrawal
crack
form of cocaine that can be smoked
ecstasy (“E”, MDMA)
acs as a hallucinogen combined with amphetamine; increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, blurry vision, sweating, nausea and hyperthermia
opium
opiates and opioids; heroin; cause a decreased reaction to pain and a sense of euphoria;
hallucinogens
cause distortion of reality, enhancement of sensory experiences, and introspection; increased heart rate and BP, dilation of pupils, sweating and increased temp
marijuana
active chemical is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); inhibits GABA activity indirectly increases dopamine activity; increased heart rate, increased appetite and lowered BP
drug addiction
- highly related to mesolimbic reward pathway
- includes nucleus accumbens, ventral segmental area, and medial forebrain bundle
- acccounts for positive reinforcement of substance use
sensorium
refers to concentrating on one aspect environment
selective attention
focusing on one part of the sensorium while ignoring other stimuli
divided attention
ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time
phonology
refers to the actual sound of language
phonemes
speech sounds
morphology
structure of words
morphemes
building blocks of words
semantics
association of a meaning with a word
syntax
how words are put together to form a sentence
pragmatics
dependence of language on context and pre-existing knowledge
prosody
rhythm cadence and inflection of our voices
language acquisition timeline
9-12mo: babbling 12-18mo: about one word per month 18-20mo: explosion of language and combining words 2-3yrs: longer sentences 5yrs: language rules largely mastered
nativist (biological theory) of language
some innate capacity for language; critical period
learning (behaviorist) theory of language
BF Skinner; operant conditioning; reinforcement;
social interactionist theory of language
focuses on the interplay between biological and social processes
Whorfian (linguistic relativity) hypothesis
out perception of reality is dependent on the content of our language
Broca’s area
inferior frontal gyrus of frontal lobe; controls motor function of speech
Wernicke’s area
superior temporal gyrus of temporal lobe; language comprehension
arcuate fasciculus
bundle of axons that connects Broca’s and Wernicke’s
aphasia
deficit of language production or comprehension
Broca’s (expressive) aphasia
can comprehend speech but can not produce language
Wernicke’s (receptive) aphasia
motor production and fluency of speech is retained but comprehension is lost
conduction aphasia
arcuate fasciculus is damaged; unable to repeat something that has been said
