Congnitive Psychology Flashcards
Cognitive psychology
The study of internal mental processes
Perception, thinking, memory, attention, language, problem-solving and learning
Metacognition
Thinking about our thinking (planning, monitoring one’s thoughts, making decisions, strategies to remember information)
Schema
Mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas or people
Prototype
Mental image or best example of a specific concept or category (hear bird think Bluejay)
Convergent thinking (inside the box)
Coming up with a single, well established answer (limits creativity)
Divergent thinking (outside the box)
Generates creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions
Problem solving
Mental process to discover, analyze and solve problems
Algorithm
Step-by-step procedures to find the correct answer to a particular problem (slow but accurate)
Heuristics
Guess based on prior experience to narrow down possible solutions
Representativeness heuristic
Comparing the present situation to the most representative mental prototype (allows for a quick decisions)
Availability heuristic
Decisions on examples and information that immediately spring to mind
Insights
Sudden and new realization of the solution to a problem (not reliable)
Wolfgang Kohler
Studied insights
Put a banana just out of chimps reach. They were unproductive until they realize they could place the boxes on top to reach the banana
Mental set
Tendency to only use solutions that have worked in the past (rigid and inflexible)
Functional fixedness
Prevents people from fully seeing all the different options available
Confirmation bias
Tendency to search for information that supports preconceptions and ignore contradictory evidence
Belief perseverance
Tendency to hold on to beliefs even when evidence proves those beliefs to be wrong
Overconfidence
Tendency to overestimate our own knowledge, skills or judgment
Hindsight bias
Tendency people have to view events is more predictable than they really are
Framing
Process of presenting an issue that affects the decisions and judgment people make
Anchoring effect
Favor the first information given
Language
Our spoken, written or signed words and the way we combine them to communicate meaning
Phonemes
Smallest unit of sound
S in sat or T in tap
Morphemes
Smallest unit of meaning
un or ly in unfriendly
Grammar
System of rules governing the structure and use of language
Babbling stage
Four months of age
Vocalize various sounds unrelated to language
Mama or dada
One word stage
Ages one and two
Whole idea expressed in one word
Go or car or kitty
Two word stage
Use of mostly nouns and verbs (telegraphic speech)
Application of grammar rules where they do not apply (overgeneralization)
Full sentences
Ages 6 to 10
Master syllable stress patterns to distinguish among words
Skinners theory of language acquisition
Children learn language through operant conditioning
Children receive rewards for using language in a functional manner
Noam Chomsky inborn universal grammar
All humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language located in a specific region of the brain
Wernick‘s area
Region of the brain important for language development and responsible for speech comprehension
Wernick’s aphasia
Speak in phrases that sounds fluent yet lack meaning
Brocas area
Region of the brain involved in production of speech and helps you put words together fluently to form sentences
Brocas aphasia
Lack of fluency with preserved language comprehension
Critical periods for language
Window on language learning gradually closes in early childhood
If not exposed by age 7 children gradually lose their ability to master language
Linguistic determination
Benjamin Whorf, individuals describe the world they live in based on the language they are used to
Euphemism
Innocuous word or phrase used to disguised truth
Enhanced interrogation technique a.k.a. torture
Intelligence
The ability to learn from experience, solve problems and use knowledge to adapt to new situations
Binet-Simon intelligence scale
Designed a series of test to assess mental abilities
Stanford Binet intelligence test
Formula to compute one’s intelligence quotient
Intelligence quotient
Mental age from exam divided by chronological age
General intelligence (G factor)
Charles spearman intelligence is a general cognitive ability that can be measured
Factor analysis
People who perform one well on one cognitive test tended to perform well on other tests
Raymond Cattell
Determine Spearman‘s G should be divided into two factors of intelligence
Fluid intelligence
Ability to reason and think flexibly, stronger in youth
Crystallized intelligence
Accumulation of knowledge, facts and skills acquired throughout life tends to increase with age
Howard Gardners theory of multiple intelligences
Distinct types of intelligence based on skills and abilities
IQ tests are not full and accurate depiction of ability
Savant syndrome
Low IQ but a specific exceptional skill
For Gardners theory against spearman‘s
Robert Sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence
Three different factors of intelligence
Practical – experimental style leads to specific learning
Analytical-solving a well defined problem with a single answer
Creative - generating new ideas
Emotional intelligence
Ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions
Wechsler Intelligence Test
Corrects for cultural bias by including nonverbal questions
Heritability
Intelligence estimates range from 50 to 75%
Genetic make up determines the upper limit for IQ and ideal environment and lower limit in an impoverished environment
Flynn effect
IQ scores have been rising worldwide because of education, nutrition and more access to information

Psychometrician
Methods for acquiring and analyzing psychological data
Standardization
Ensures the test is administered and scored uniformly to define meaningful scores
Norms
Each test taker completes the test under the same conditions
Achievement tests
Measures a persons knowledge in a specific area
Test in psychology, math unit test
Aptitude test
Assesses what a person is capable of doing or to predict what a person is capable of learning
Group tests
Set a guys test can be administered in groups, widely used in efficient
Individual tests
Administered by a trained professional to provide more information on behavior and creative responses
Reliability
Consistency
Tendency of a test to produce the same scores each time
Validity
Degree in which a test measures what it supposed to measure
Test retest reliability
Administering a test twice at two different points in time same results
Split half reliability
Measures the extent of which the parts of a test equally contribute to what is being measured
Content validity
Measures all aspects of what is designed to measure
Predictive
Test accurately forecast performance on future measure
Ethics and standards in testing
Professional standards for psychological test to promote the welfare of test takers
IQ test measure
A persons ability to use logic and solve problems, recognize patterns and make rapid connections
Intellectual disability
Score 2 or more standard deviation‘s below the norm (70 or below)
Serious limitations and areas such as learning, reasoning, communication and self help skills
Causes for intellectual disability
Genetic conditions, injuries, illness, labor/delivery problems and pregnancy problems
Intellectually gifted
.2% receive an IQ score of more than 145
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