Cognition, Consciousness, & Language

Question 1

how our brains process and react to the incredible info overload presented to us by the world

Answer 1

cognition

Question 2

• thinking requires sensation,encoding, and storage of stimuli
• stimuli must be analyzed by the brain (rather than respond automatically) to be useful in decision making
• decisions made in one situation can be extrapolated and adjusted to help solve new problems (also called situational modification)
• problem-solving is dependent not only on one person’s cognitive level, but also the context and complexity of the problem

Answer 2

information processing model

Question 3

development of ones ability to think and solve problems across the lifespan

Answer 3

cognitive development

Question 4

divided the lifespan into four cognitive developmental stages

Answer 4

Jean Piaget

Question 5

process of classifying new information into existing schemata

Answer 5

assimilation

Question 6

existing schemata are modified to encompass new information

Answer 6

accomodation

Question 7

organized patterns of thought and behavior

Answer 7

schema

Question 8

stage that starts at birth and lasts until about age 2. Child learns to manipulate his or her environment in order to meet physical needs

Answer 8

sensorimotor stage

Question 9

ends the sensorimotor stage. Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view

Answer 9

object permanence

Question 10

lasts from 2-7, characterized by symbolic thinking, egocentrism, an centration

Answer 10

preoperational stage

Question 11

ability to pretend, play make-believe, and have an imagination

Answer 11

symbolic thinking

Question 12

inability to imagine what another person may think or feel

Answer 12

egocentrism

Question 13

tendency to focus on only one aspect of a phenomenon, or inability to understand the concept of conservation

Answer 13

centration

Question 14

lasts 7-11. Children understand conservation and consider the perspectives of others. Yet to develop ability to think abstractly

Answer 14

concrete operational stage

Question 15

starts around age 11 and is marked by the ability to think logically about abstract ideas

Answer 15

formal operational stage

Question 16

proposed that engine driving cognitive development is the child’s internalization of his or her culture

Answer 16

Lev Vygotsky

Question 17

consists of problem solving skills

Answer 17

fluid intelligence

Question 18

use of learned skills and knowledge

Answer 18

crystallized intelligence

Question 19

tendency to approach similar problems in the same way

Answer 19

mental set

Question 20

inability to consider how to use an object in a nontraditional way

Answer 20

functional fixedness

Question 21

starts with set of general rules and draws conclusions from the information given

Answer 21

deductive (top-down) reasoning

Question 22

seeks to create a theory via generalization

Answer 22

inductive (bottom-up) reasoning

Question 23

simplified principles used to make decisions (rule of thumb)

Answer 23

heuristics

Question 24

used when try to decide how likely something is

Answer 24

availability heuristics

Question 25

using prototypical or stereotypical factors while ignoring actual numerical information

Answer 25

base rate fallacy

Question 26

evidence obtained from testing demonstrated that the solution doesn’t work

Answer 26

disconfirmation principle

Question 27

tendency to focus on information that fits an individual’s beliefs, while rejecting information that goes against them

Answer 27

confirmation bias

Question 28

tendency to erroneously interpret one’s decisions, knowledge, and beliefs as infallible

Answer 28

overconfidence

Question 29

inability to reject a particular belief despite clear evidence to the contrary

Answer 29

belief perseverance

Question 30

ability to act on perceptions that may not be supported by available evidence

Answer 30

intuition

Question 31

seven defined types of intelligence:

linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal

Answer 31

Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences

Question 32

state of consciousness in which we are awake and able to think

Answer 32

alertness

Question 33

BAT-D
beta 
alpha
theta 
delta

Answer 33

order of waves in sleep

Question 34

dreams are caused by widespread, random activation of neural circuitry

Answer 34

activation-synthesis theory

Question 35

reduce the nervous system activity, resulting in sense of relaxation and reduced anxiety

• alcohol
• barbiturates
• benzodiazepines

Answer 35

depressants

Question 36

cause an increase in the arousal of the central nervous system

• amphetamines
• cocaine
• ecstasy

Answer 36

stimulants

Question 37

concentrating on one aspect of the sensory environment,or sensorium

Answer 37

attention

Question 38

actual sound of language

Answer 38

phonology

Question 39

structure of words

Answer 39

morphology

Question 40

association of a meaning with a word

Answer 40

semantics

Question 41

how words are put together to form sentences

Answer 41

syntax

Question 42

dependence of language on context and preexisting knowledge

Answer 42

pragmatics

Question 43

existence of some innate capacity for language

Answer 43

nativist (biological) theory

Question 44

language acquisition by operant conditioning

Answer 44

learning (behaviorist) theory

Question 45

language development focuses on the interplay between biological and social processes

Answer 45

social interactionist theory

Question 46

the perception of reality is determined by the content of language

Answer 46

linguistic relativity hypothesis

Question 47

controls motor function of speech

Answer 47

Borca’s area

Question 48

responsible for language comprehension

Answer 48

Wernicke’s area

Question 49

allows appropriate association between language comprehension and speech production

Answer 49

arcuate fasciculus