Lecture 3: Cognitive foundations Flashcards
What is a cognitive change?
Changes over time in how people think, how they solve problems, make decisions, and behave in risky contexts
What happens in terms of synaptic growth?
First: a rapid increase in synaptic connections. Primarily in frontal lobes (involved in higher functioning)
Next: synaptic pruning. Use it or lose it, Between ages 12-20 years, All about efficiency
What is myelination?
Blanket of fat wraps around the main part of the neuron; Increases speed of electrical signals, Better executive functioning, Functioning less flexible, amenable to change
What is cerebellum growth?
Part of the lower brain, Important for certain higher functions (e.g., math, music, decision making, social skills), Last structure of the brain to stop growing, Growth continues into mid-20’s
What are the basic principles of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Cognitive stage: A period in which abilities are organized in a coherent, interrelated way
Maturation: Process by which abilities develop through genetically based development with limited influence from the environment. Driving force behind development from one stage to the next
What is the formal operations stage (piaget)
Logical, systematic thinking
Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Abstract thinking
Metacognition (thinking about thinking)
See things in greater complexity
Perceive multiple aspects of a situation, critical thinking
Understand the literal, concrete meaning and less obvious, more subtle meanings (E.g., metaphors)
Pick up on meanings in tone and context (E.g., sarcasm)
what are the limitations of piaget’s theory?
Doesn’t account for Individual differences (assumes universality)
Environmental influences
Culture
What is the information processing model?
Computer model approach to understanding cognition Emphasis on attention and memory (storage and retrieval) Processing speed (automaticity, executive functioning)
What are the limitations of the information processing approach?
-Reductionism
Humans are sentient (Able to perceive, feel, experience things subjectively)
Does not consider self-reflection, self-awareness, or emotions (i.e., growing capacities in adolescence)
What are social cognitions?
How people think about others, social relationships, and social institutions. Social information processing model
- –Cyclical cognitive processes
- –Influenced by (Past experiences, Emotions, Mood and temperament)
What is social cognition influenced by?
- Perspective taking
- Theory of mind (other people have different perspectives and opinions)
- Egocentrism (imaginary audience)
- Personal fable (optimism bias)
How does practical cognition: critical thinking improve in adolescence?
Improvements in the ability to:
Analyze and make judgements about information
Simultaneous consider different kinds of knowledge
Utilize metacognition strategies
Think critically
But still a work in progress
Practical cognition: decision making
Competence in decision making varies with age
Preadolescents < adolescents
Are adolescents/emerging adults more likely to take more risks than children and adults?
-Automobile crashes
-Binge drinking
-Contraceptive use
-Crime
Highest among older adolescent males
Risk taking: why do they do it?
Compared to adults, adolescents seem to have comparable (Logical reasoning abilities, Abilities to perceive risk,
Few age differences in (Evaluations of risks associated with dangerous behaviours, Judgements about seriousness of consequences resulting from risky behaviours, Evaluations of relative costs and benefits of risky activities)
What is the temporal gap?
Puberty starts as early as 8 (i.e., late childhood)
(Extreme emotions, reward-seeking) But Cognitive changes occur later (i.e., in adolescence) (Maturation of cognition, impulse control, emotion regulation) It creates a risky window of time.
How do psychosocial factors impact risky behaviours?
Psychosocial factors continue to develop into adulthood: Impulse control, Emotion regulation, Delay of gratification, Resistance to peer influence
Psychosocial immaturity undermining competent decision making?
Brain development: emerging adulthood
- Myelination, synaptic pruning, and formation of new connections
- Decrease in gray matter(i.e., brain cells)
- Increase in white matter (i.e., myelinated axons & connections)
- Result: greater processing speed, timing, efficiency of brain functioning, peak fluid intelligence
- Crucial new connections in prefrontal cortex (Emotion and motivation)
- Result: growing emotional self control
- Improved ability to integrate multiple sources of information (Reasoning, planning, decision making)
Post formal thinking in emerging adulthood
Types of thinking beyond formal operations, involving greater awareness of the complexity of real life situations such as in the use of pragmatism and reflective judgement
What is pragmatism (emerging adulthood)
adapting logical thinking to the practical constraints of greater situations
What is Dialectical thought (emerging adulthood)
growing awareness that most problems do not have a single solution
What is Reflective judgement (perry 1970/1999)
capacity to evaluate the accuracy and logical coherence of evidence and arguments
- Dualistic thinking transitions into multiple thinking
- Relativism
- Commitment
What are the limitations of reflective thinking?
Maturation vs. education
Culture
Cognition in emerging adulthood
Changing worldviews
Identity exploration
Continued development In competent decision making
Risk taking behaviours in emerging adulthood
Invulnerability: subjective belief that one is incapable of being wounded, injured or harmed
Invulnerability associated with:Risk taking behaviours, Delinquency and aggression, Promotion of favourable attitudes towards risky behaviours, Drug use
-Emerging adults > adolescents
What is the AIS
Adolescent invulnerability scale. Measures 2 types of invulnerability: Danger invulnerability and psychological
What is short term/working memory?
Memory for information that is the current focus of attention. Working memory is an aspect of short-term memory that refers to where information is stored as it is comprehended and analyzed.
What is long term memory
memory for information that is committed to longer term storage, so that it can be drawn upon after a period when attention has not been focused on it.
