Cognition, Consciousness, and Language (CH4) Flashcards
This theory states that both verbal associations and visual images are used to process and store information (increasing the change that the information can be retrieved and used effectively when cued).
Dual-Coding Theory
What are Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?
- Sensorimotor
- Preoperational
- Concrete Operational
- Formal Operational
This type of psychology looks at how our brains process and react to the incredible information overload presented to us by the world.
Study of Cognition
Organizational patterns of behavior and thought. Can include a concept (What is a dog?), a behavior (What do you normally do in a sit-down restaurant?), or a sequence of events (What do you normally do in a sit-down restaurant?).
Schema
Adaptation to information comes about by what two complementary processes?
Assimilation and Accomodation
The process of classifying new information into existing schemata.
Assimilation
The process by which existing schemata are modified to encompass new information.
Accomodation
This stage starts at birth and lasts until about two years of age. Here, the child learns to manipulate his or her environment in order to meet physical needs.
Sensorimotor Stage
The repitition of a body movement that originally occurred by chance (such as sucking the thumb). The behavior is repeated because the child finds it soothing.
Primary Circular Reactions
This occurs when manipulation is focused on something outside the body (such as repeatedly throwings toys from a high chair). This behaviors are often repeated because the child gets a response from the enviornment.
Secondary Circular Reactions
The understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view. This is a key milestone of ending the sensorimotor stage.
Object Permanence
Object permanence marks the begining of this type of thinking; in which the child has begun to create mental representations of external objects and events.
Representational Thought
This stage lasts from about two to seven years of age, and is characterized by symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and centration.
Preoperational Stage
This refers the the ability to pretend, play make-believe, and have an imagination.
Symbolic Thinking
Refers to the inability to imagine what another person may think or feel.
Egocentrism
The tendency to focus on only one aspect of a phenomenon, or inability to understand the concept of conservation (one big piece = two small pieces of pizza).
Centration
This stage lasts from about seven to eleven years of age. Here, children can understand conservation and consider the perspectives of others. Additionally, the child is able to engage in logical thought as long as they are working with concrete objects or information that is directly available.
Concrete Operational Stage
This stage starts around eleven years of age, and is marked by the ability to think logically about abstract ideas (can reason abstract concepts and problem solve).
Formal Operational Stage
This psychologist proposed that the engine driving cognitive development is the child’s internalization of his or her culture, including interpersonal and societal rules, symbols and language.
Lev Vygotsky
Problem-solving skills.
Fluid Intelligence
The use of learned skills and knowledge.
Crystallized Intelligence
Rapid flunctuation in cognitive function that is reversible and caused by medical (nonpsychological) causes.
Delirium
The inability to consider how to use an object in a nontraditional manner.
Functional Fixedness
A reasoning that starts from a set of general rules and draws conclusions from the information given.
Deductive Reasoning (Top-Down)
A reasoning that seeks to create a theory via generalizations. This starts with specific instances, and then draws a conclusion from them.
Inductive Reasoning (Bottom-Up)
Simplified principles used to make decisions or “rules of thumb”.
Heuristics
Used when we try to decide how likely something is.
Availibity Heuristics
Involves categorizing items on the basis of whether they fit the prototypical, stereotypical, or representative image of the category.
Representativeness Heuristic