Cognition, Consciousness, Language Flashcards
How does Piaget define learning?
Instinctual interaction with the environment
What are Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete operational
Formal operational
Assimilation according to Piaget?
Process of classifying new information into existing schemata
Accommodation according to Piaget?
Process by which existing schemata are modified to encompass new information
What ages span Piaget’s sensorimotor stage?
Birth to two years
What ages span Piaget’s preoperational stage?
Two to seven years
What ages span Piaget’s concrete operational stage?
Seven to eleven years
What ages span Piaget’s formal operational stage?
Over eleven years
Primary circular reactions
Originally occurred by chance but found to be soothing - ie sucking the thumb
Secondary circular reactions
Something done outside the body that receives a reaction from the environment - ie throwing a toy
Secondary circular reactions
Something done outside the body that receives a reaction from the environment - ie throwing a toy
What end the sensorimotor stage according to Piaget?
Object permanence
What is object permanence?
Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view
At about what age do children develop object permanence?
Two
What is representational thought?
Creation of mental representations of external objects and events
What is characteristic of Piaget’s preoperational stage?
Symbolic thinking, egocentism, centration
What is symbolic thinking?
Ability to pretend, play make-believe, and have an imagination
What is egocentrism?
Inability to imagine what another person may think or feel
What is centration?
Tendency to focus on only one aspect of a phenomenon or inability to understand the concept of conservation
What is characteristic of Piaget’s concrete operational stage?
Ability to understand conservation and consider the perspectives of others but inability to think abstractly
What is characteristic of Piaget’s concrete operational stage?
Ability to understand conservation and consider the perspectives of others but inability to think abstractly
What is characteristic of Piaget’s formal operational stage?
Ability to think logically about abstract ideas, problem-solving
A child who demonstrates an ability to problem-solve would be in which stage of development according to Piaget?
Formal operational
What did Lev Vygotsky believe about cognitive development and culture?
Cognitive development is a child’s internalization of their culture
What is fluid intelligence?
Problem-solving skills
What type of intelligence is problem-solving?
Fluid intelligence
What is crystallized intelligence?
Use of learned skills and knowledge
What type of intelligence is use of learned skills?
Crystallized intelligence
What is delirium?
Rapid fluctuation in cognitive function that is reversible and medically caused
What causes delirium?
Medical causes
Is delirium reversible?
Yes
What are the three steps of information processing?
Encoding, storage, and retrieval
What are the three steps of information processing?
Encoding, storage, and retrieval
What is a mental set in problem solving?
Tendency to approach similar problems in the same way
What is functional fixedness in problem solving?
Inability to consider how to use an object in a nontraditional manner
When is trial-and-error effective?
Relatively few possible solutions
What is deductive reasoning?
Start with a set of general rules and draw conclusions from the information given
What type of problem-solving do logic puzzles require?
Deductive reasoning
What is inductive reasoning?
Creation of a theory from generalizations
Is deductive reasoning top down or bottom up processing?
Top down
Is inductive reasoning top down or bottom up processing?
Bottom up
What is another name for a heuristic?
Rule of thumb
What is the availability heuristic?
Make decisions based on how easily similar instances can be imagined
What is the representativeness heuristic?
Categorize items no the basis of whether they fit a prototypical image of the category
What is the base rate fallacy?
Using stereotypical factors while ignoring numerical information
What is confirmation bias?
Tendency to focus on information that fits an individual’s beliefs while rejecting information that goes against them
What might prevent someone from eliminating an option that failed during testing?
Confirmation bias / belief perseverance
What is belief perseverance?
Inability to reject a particular belief despite clear evidence to the contrary
What is intuition?
Ability to act on perceptions that may not be supported by actual evidence
Who believes that there are multiple intelligences?
Howard Gardner
Howard Gardner theory of intelligence
Multiple intelligences - Western culture values linguistics and logical-mathematical
Stanford-Binet IQ test
IQ=((mental age)/(chronological age))*100
Consciousness is?
One’s level of awareness of both the world and one’s own existence within that world
Which brain fibers communicate to maintain alertness?
Prefrontal cortex and reticular formation in the branistem
Where is melatonin secreted from?
Pineal gland
Where is cortisol produced?
Adrenal cortex
How does cortisol affect sleep-wake cycling?
Light in the morning leads to release of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) from hypothalamus –> CRF causes adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from anterior pituitary which stimulates cortisol release
What is corticotropin releasing factor?
Light stimulates its release from hypothalamus and it leads to ACTH production which leads to cortisol release
Where is corticotropin releasing factor produced / released from?
Hypothalamus
What is adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)?
Stimulated by CRF, it then stimulates cortisol release
Where is adrenocorticotropic hormone secreted from?
Anterior pituitary
Activation-synthesis theory
Dreams are caused by random activation of neural circuitry stitched together by the cortex
Problem-Solving dream theory
Dreams are a way to solve problems while sleeping without the obstacles of the real world present
Cognitive process dream theory
Dreams are the sleeping counterpart of stream-of-consciousness
Dyssomnias
Disorders that make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or avoid sleep
Parasommnias
Abnormal movements or behaviors during sleep
Insomnia
Trouble falling or staying asleep
Narcolepsy
Characterized by lack of voluntary control over the onset of sleep
Cataplexy
Loss of muscle control and intrusion of REM sleep during waking hours
One with cataplexy most likely has what sleep disorder
Narcolepsy
Sleep paralysis
Sensation of being unable to move despite being awake
Sleep apnea
Inability to breathe during sleep
Night terrors
Periods of intense anxiety during sleep
During which stage of sleep do night terrors happen?
Slow wave sleep
What is somnambulism also known as?
Sleepwalking
During which stage of sleep does sleepwalking happen?
Slow wave sleep
Can sleep deprivation occur after one night without sleep?
Yes
How do depressants affect the nervous system?
Reduce activity
Does alcohol increase or decrease activity of the GABA receptor?
Increases
Does an increase in activity of GABA receptor cause an increase or decrease in arousal?
Decrease
How does alcohol affect dopamine in the brain?
Increases, leading to mild euphoria
Alcohol myopia
Inability to recognize consequences of actions due to alcohol consumption
How do stimulants affect the nervous system?
Increase in arousal and activity
How do stimulants increase nervous system activity?
Increase frequency of action potentials
How do amphetamines affect the nervous system?
Increase release of dopamine, norepi, and serotonin at the synapse and decrease their reuptake
How does cocaine affect the nervous system?
Decrease reuptake of dopamine, norepi, and serotonin
Which class of stimulants does cocaine behave similarly to?
Amphetamines
How do opioids affect the nervous system?
Bind to opioid receptors causing a reduced reaction to pain
How can opioids lead to death?
Respiratory supression
What is the active chemical in marijuana?
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
How does marijuana affect nervous system?
Inhibits GABA and increases dopamine activity
What pathway in the brain is drug addiction related to?
Mesolimbic reward pathway
What is phonology?
Actual sound of language
What is a categorical perception?
Ability to tell the difference between speech changes and whether the differences confer meaning
What is morphology in language?
Structure of words
Morphemes
Building blocks of words
What is semantics in language?
Association of meaning with a word
What is syntax?
How words are put together into sentences
What is pragmatics in language?
Dependence of language on context and pre-existing knowledge
What is prosody in language?
Rhythm, cadence, and inflection of our voices
When does a child’s explosion of language usually occur?
18 months
At what age is language generally mastered?
Five
What is the Whorfian hypothesis?
Our perception of reality is determined by the content of language
What is the language relativity hypothesis also known as?
Whorfian hypothesis
What is the Whorfian hypothesis also known as?
Language relativity hypothesis
Are language areas located in the dominant or non-dominant hemisphere?
Dominant
What connects Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas?
Arcuate Fasciculus
What is the arcuate fasciculus?
Bundle of axons connecting Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas and allowing for appropriate association between language comprehension and speech production
Broca’s area is responsible for
Motor function of speech
Wernicke’s area is responsible for
Language comprehension
Broca’s area is located in (lobe)
Frontal Lobe
Wernicke’s area is located in (lobe)
Temporal lobe
Conduction aphasia
Lesion to arcuate fasciculus in which someone is unable to repeat words that have been said due to loss of connection between areas
