Learning, memory & cognition

Question 1

What is cognition?

Answer 1

Study of mental processes.

Focused on internal mental representations of the world

Question 2

What is mental representations

Answer 2

our conceptual understanding of our world is our own unique construction of reality based on a combination of current and past knowledge

Question 3

What is a stereotype

Answer 3

Hypothetical idealisation that comprises of the core attribute cluster belonging to that concept

Question 4

What is a prototype

Answer 4

is a category example that best fits the attribute cluster belonging to that concept

Question 5

What is a mental schema

Answer 5

involves bringing
together multiple concepts and their inter-relationships.
Help guide interpretation of the world around us

Question 6

What is a mental script

Answer 6

A sequence of actions in order to achieve a goal. Mental scripts help reduce cognitive load when performing familiar actions. For example, doing the grocery shopping.

Question 7

Explain individual differences

Answer 7

How we conceptualise something can vary depending on our prior knowledge, perspectives, moods, and interactions with other people.

Question 8

The structure of the mind - explain iceberg metaphor by Sigmund Freud

Answer 8

Unconscious level - selfish neefs, fears, violent motives, shameful experiences etc.
Preconscious level - memories, stored knowledge
Conscious level - thoughts, perceptions

Question 9

Implicit versus explicit - define

Answer 9

Explicit = Conscious/Controlled (conscious thought)
Implicit = Non-conscious/Automatic (automatic bodily functions, procedural action, unconscious thoughts)

Question 10

Evans & Stanovich (2013) explicit/implicit characteristics explain

Answer 10

Explicit.         Implicit
Conscious    Nonconscious
Intentional    Unintentional
Controlled    Automatic
Slow              Fast
Limited 
capacity        High capacity
Serial            Parallel
Rule-based   Associative

Question 11

Explain Libet experiment (1985) on neural activity prior to intention to act

Answer 11

-550milliseconds = activity in motor cortex begins
-200 milliseconds = awareness of intention to act
0 milliseconds = finger begins to move

Question 12

Explain Stanovich’s tripartite model

Stanovich (2009) Evans & Stanovich (2013)

Answer 12

Diagram in week 1 folder

Question 13

Explain the TASS (Stanovich tripartite model)

Answer 13

The autonomous set of systems (TASS)

Perception -> Emotion -> motor commands

Question 14

Stanovich tripartite model - Explain the algorithmtic mind

Answer 14

Cognitive decoupling
(maintaining and manipulating mental representations in working memory)

Question 15

Stanovich tripartite model - explain the reflective mind

Answer 15

Critical appraisal of perception, thought, and emotion

Question 16

Steamboat metaphor for Stanovich tripartite model

Answer 16

River = TASS
Boat = Algorithmic mind
Driver = reflective mind

Question 17

Explain Cacioppo et al.,: Need for cognition

Answer 17

An individual higher in need for need for condition tends to gain more pleasure from and be more thoughtful/reflective.

Question 18

Explain NFC (need for cognition) Cacioppo

Answer 18

More complex thinking
More rational judgments - More Curiosity
Openness to ideas (but not fantasy) More resistant to persuasion Can form ‘strong’ attitudes

Question 19

Explain the development of the comprehensive test of rational thinking (CART): Keith Stanovich (2016)

Answer 19

• Distinction between algorithmic mind (IQ) and reflective mind (RQ)
• assesses an individual’s tendency to override implicit influence via the ‘reflective mind’ by reasoning through problems.

Question 20

What is the global neural workspace theory (Dahaene & Changeux (2010)

Answer 20

Conscious process is generally much more distributed across the brain

• simple cognitive architecture that has been developed to account qualitatively for a large set of matched pairs of conscious and unconscious processes.
• all tasks that involve unpredictable choice points require global broadcasting to recruit knowledge sources.

Question 21

Global workspace theory - Where do conscious thoughts come from - analogy (Baars, franklin & ramsory, 2013)

Answer 21

different populations of neurons vying for access to conscious awareness

Question 22

Global workspace theory
Kopp, D’Mello, & Mills (2015)
What is Mind wandering?

Answer 22

“An involuntary attentional shift away from the primary task
towards internal thoughts unrelated to the task.”
Kopp et al. (2015): Participants that made a short “to do” list prior to reading a scientific text reported more task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) compared to participants who did not make a “to do” list.

Question 23

What is the unconscious thought theory (UTT) Dijksterhuis and Nordgren (2006)

Answer 23

• The capacity principle
• The weighting principle
• The rule principle

Question 24

Explain neurological evidence for UTT (Creswell, 2013)

Answer 24

Different neural processing during the ‘distraction’ tasks compared to independent taks (see page 2-4 of wk 2 lecture)

Question 25

Why might unconscious thoughts be superior - the capacity principle (xplain)

Answer 25

Capacity of conscious limited, whereas unconscious much larger • Processing of conscious sequential (one thing at a time), whereas unconscious less restrictive

Question 26

Why might unconscious thoughts be superior - bottom-up-versus-top-down principle

Answer 26

Unconscious = bottom up, like an archaeologist uncovering existing values. Conscious = Top down, like an architect building some defensible set of values. Predecisonal distortion – forming a prejudgment that works as an expectancy, biasing subsequent interpretation of information.

Question 27

Why might unconscious thoughts be superior - The weighting principle

Answer 27

Unconsciousnaturallyweightsthe relative importance of various attributes. • Consciousthoughtoftenleadsto suboptimal weighting.

Question 28

Why might unconscious thoughts be superior - the rule principle

Answer 28

Conscious thought better at rule-based processing (e.g., maths). • Distinction between conforming to rules (e.g., implicit learning of social information) versus active rule following.

Question 29

Why might unconscious thoughts be superior - The convergence-versus-divergence principle

Answer 29

Conscious thought tends to be focused (convergent) | • Unconscious thought tends to be less focused (divergent) • The problem of ‘mental sets’

Question 30

UTT and complexity of decision

Answer 30

Based on the principles of unconscious thought, conscious thought is argued to be good for simple decisions, and not-so- good for complex decisions. This is where unconscious thought might be especially useful.

Question 31

Critics of UTT

Answer 31

Newell and Shanks (2014) Newell & Shanks (2014) • Is it that distraction is beneficial, or deliberation can be detrimental? (i.e., over thinking things?) • Is the unconscious really better at weighting? • Difficult to disentangle on-line deliberation influence. • Low sample size issue & Lack of familiarity issue. • A number of failed replication attempts. (For a review, see: Niewenstein et al. 2015) • Bold claims might be considered reckless at this stage?

Question 32

Implicit and Explixity - the best of both worlds hypothesis

Answer 32

The best-of-both-worlds hypothesis. Complex decisions are best when the information is encoded thoroughly and consciously, and the later thought process is delegated to the unconscious.

Question 33

What is selective attention?

Answer 33

The controlled focus and potential switching of mental processing while inhibiting other irrelevant information.

Question 34

What is orienting response?

Answer 34

Evolved propensity for attention to be involuntarily drawn towards novelty

Question 35

Explain the AIDA principle of advertising

Answer 35

A-ttention I-nterest D-esire A-ction

Question 36

What is: a) peacocking b) conspicuous consumption

Answer 36

Peacocking – Dressing conspicuously to attract attention from others. Conspicuous consumption – Engaging in excessive spending behaviour to attract attention to one’s wealth.

Question 37

What is concentration

Answer 37

Concentration (sustained attention) is the act of maintaining attentional focus on something for a period of time.

Question 38

Explain the conneciton between attention and learning

Answer 38

Attention facilitates formation and reorganisation of memory, and thus is integral for learning

Question 39

Explain ADHD

Answer 39

People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Question 40

What are the three substages of ADHD

Answer 40

- combined presentation - predominantly inattentive presentation - predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation

Question 41

What is attentional bias

Answer 41

A term to describe how people may form biases towards noticing and thinking about certain things. People generally are biased towards positive information (Bateson, 2016). - In relationships we tend to adopt ‘rose coloured glasses’

Question 42

Explain the Broadbent's filter model of selective attention

Answer 42

Sensory memory (energy; light, sound etc.) -> filter (info filtered out based on perceptual characteristics) -> Detector (Info processed for meaning) -> to memory

Question 43

Explain the Triesman's attenuation model of selective attention

Answer 43

Sensory memory (Energy (light, sound waves, etc.) -> Attenuator (Information filtered out based on multiple characteristics) -> Dictionary unit (Information processed further for meaning) -> To memory