Cognition, Consciousness, and Language Flashcards
Pavio’s Dual-Encoding Theory
Both verbal association and visual images are used to process and store information.
Four tenants of the Information Processing Model?
- Thinking requires sensation, encoding, and storage
- It must be analyzed by the brain to be useful in decisions.
- Decisions in one situation can be adjusted to solve new problems
- Problem solving is dependent on context and complexity.
Jean Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
- Sensorimotor (-2yrs): primary and secondary circular reactions along with object permeance (representational thought)
- Preoperational(2-7): symbolic thinking + egocentrism
- Concrete Operational(7-11): Conservation + logical thinking, can start understanding other people.
- Formal Operational(11+): hypothetical thinking + abstract thinking.
Schema and Adaptations
Schema is a mental set, Assimilation is new stimuli put into pre-existing stimuli, Accommodation is new stimuli that can either change or create new schema.
Lev Vygotsky theory of cognitive development
CD occurs internalization of culture, instruction + copying.
– Culture can heavily influence cognitive development.
Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence
Fluid intelligence is solving new/novel problems (puzzles) Crystallized Intelligence is acquired knowledge (MCAT)
Age related decline of cognition
Old people typically lose fluid intelligence and also dependent on activities of daily living. Progressive loss may be caused by dementia.
Things that can affect cognition
- Parenting style
- Genetic disorders
- Intellectual disabilities (caused by teratogens)
Delirium
Rapid fluctuation of cognition caused by various medical causes
Functional fixedness
Not being able to see an object past its intended usage.
Types of Problem Solving
- Trial-and-error: Plug in any random solution (even repeats)
- Algorithm: systematically try every combination to grantee an answer.
- Deductive Reasoning (top down): general rules which help us draw conclusions with information
- Inductive Reasoning (bottom up): facts can help us postulate a theory with generalizations
Availability vs Representative Heuristic
Availability: how easily an example comes to our mind.
Representative: how close an example resembles a particular stereotype within our heads.
Base Rate Fallacy
Using stereotypical factors instead of actual numerical information.
Disconfirmation Principle
If the solution fails to solve a problem it should be discarded.
Confirmation bias, overconfidence, belief perseverance.
Looks for information that only fits their POV, tendency to think as one’s arguments as infallible, inability to let go of their beliefs despite evidence to contrary.
Hindsight bias
Overestimation of how well you predicted the outcome of past events.
Intuition and the Recognition-primed decision model
Being able to act on perceptions that may not be supported by available evidence but my experience. Experiences create patterns overtime that may be utilized.
Emotions
Subjective experience of a person which can affect decision making (either experiencing or about to experience)
Theories of Intelligence
- Multiple intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, inter/intra personal, naturalist.
- Triarchic theory: analytical, creative, pragmatic.
- Emotional intelligence: express and perceive, understand and analyze, regulate, and awareness of affect.
Intelligence quotient & Stanford-Binet IQ Test
certain ‘g factor’ that determines overall intelligence determined by test.
Stages of Sleep Cycle
Stage 1: theta waves (slow waves)
Stage 2: K-complex and sleep spindles (blocking)
Stage 3: SWS, or delta waves appear.
REM: paradoxical sleep (brain active but paralyzed).
Circadian rhythm
-internally generated rhythm
Hormones of sleep cycle
Melatonin (pineal gland) - sleepy
Cortisol (adrenal cortex) - wakefulness
- light release CRF (hypothalamus) - ACTH (anterior)
Theories of Dreaming
- Activation-synthesis theory: random activation is tried to made sense of by the cortext causing dreams
- Problem solving theory: we’re solving problems just in dreams.
- Cognitive Process theory: stream-of-consciousness just in sleep.
Neurocognitive models of dreaming
unify biological and psychological dreaming perspectives using subjective and cognitive changes.
Dyssomnia
Disorders that trouble us from sleeping, waking.
- Insomnia (wakefulness)
- Narcolepsy - cataplexy (involuntary REM), sleep paralysis, hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations
- sleep apnea - obstructive/central problems with breathing.
Parasomnia
Disorders during sleeping
- Night terrors: SWS nightmares that leave children screaming and thrashing
- Sleepwalking/talking: no knowledge of nighttime activities.
Sleep Deprivation and REM Rebound
getting little sleep a night or consistent bad quality sleep every night –> making up for sleep causes earlier and longer REM sleep.
Hypnotic induction
Relax patient and increase concentration (to open to suggestion). Patient needs to be willing and no skepticism
Meditation
Can resemble alpha/theta waves to decrease heart rate.
Depressants
Decrease NS activity, relaxation
- alcohol
- barbiturates
- benzodiazepines
Alcohol Mechanism and Symptoms
GABA activity increase, dopamine increase, causing disinhibition, alcohol myopia. Can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (no thiamine)
Sedatives (barbiturates (-barbital) and benzodiazepines (-pam))
GABA activity increase; sleep and anxiety pills.
Stimulants
Increase NS activity
- amphetamines
- cocaine
- ecstasy (MDMA)
Amphetamines Mechanism
Increase dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and decrease reuptake. Euphoria, high heart rate.
Cocaine (crack) mechanism
Decreases reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Can also be anesthetic
Ecstasy (semi-hallucinogen) mechanism
Same as amphetamines, cause well-being and connectedness.
Opiates and Opioids (-done)
Painkillers (endorphine agonists)
- Heroin
- Morphine
- Codeine
Methadone
Treatment for opioid addiction (long lasting opioid)
Hallucinogens (-in, -yote)
Distortion of reality and enhanced sensitization
- LSD (interact with serotonin)
- Ecstasy
Marijuana Mechanism
Stimulant, Depressant, and Hallucinogen
- THC inhibit GABA activity, increase dopamine.
- Opioid, cannabinoid, and glycine receptors
Mesolimbic pathyway
The VTA produces dopamine to areas in the brain such as the nucleus acumbens (motor). This is the reward pathway
Selective Attention and how to test for it
Focusing on one stimuli while ignoring the rest. We can see this through dichotic listening tests (two different ear stimuli) hear one (shadowing) and then see if they paid attention
Cocktail Party Phenomenom
Hearing your name in a crowd can cause you to process that stimuli even if it was background.
Divided Attention
How easily we can switch between two or more tasks attention: depends on controlled and automatic processing (easier something becomes the more automatic)
Phonemes (categorical perception and constancy)
Speech sounds –> how to perceive different sounds have different meanings –> also when to perceive it is the same.
Morphemes
simplest form that conveys meaning (-ed, pro-)
Semantics
Association of meaning to a word
Syntax
How words are ordered in a sentence
Pragmatics and Prosody
Dependence on context or knowledge and tones of our voice.
Timeline of Language Acquisition
- 9-12 mon. babbling
- 12-18 mon. one word per month
- 18-20 naming explosion and combination of words
- - may cause overextension (apple to kiwi) - 2-3 yrs longer sentence
- - overextension in grammar that causes error of growth - 5 years language mastery.
Nativist Theory
Language Acquisition Device that must be primed during the critical period/sensitive period where they are more sensitive to environmental input.
- Transformational grammar was learned effortlessly by kids (passive vs active tone)
Learning Theory
Language comes about by reinforcement (guardian reinforces correct reiterations of language).
Social Interactionist Theory
Children desire to communicate to other people and that desire brings forth the acquisition of language. (Biological and sociological)
Universalism vs Linguistic Relativity
Perception of cognition affects our language, or language affects our cognition (Whorfian) (ex. many meanings of snow for Inuit).
Different aphasia and the causes:
- Broca’s Aphasia: can understand but have extreme difficulty in coming up with the word (speaking)
- Wernicke’s Aphasia: word salad – Jumbled mess of words no one really understands
- Conduction Aphasia: (arcuate fasciculus) unable to repeat something because connection is lost.
