Lecture 3: Cognitive foundations

Question 1

What is a cognitive change?

Answer 1

Changes over time in how people think, how they solve problems, make decisions, and behave in risky contexts

Question 2

What happens in terms of synaptic growth?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What is myelination?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What is cerebellum growth?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What are the basic principles of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What is the formal operations stage (piaget)

Answer 6

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)

Question 7

what are the limitations of piaget’s theory?

Answer 7

Doesn’t account for Individual differences (assumes universality)
Environmental influences
Culture

Question 8

What is the information processing model?

Answer 8

Computer model approach to understanding cognition
Emphasis on attention and memory (storage and retrieval)
Processing speed (automaticity, executive functioning)

Question 9

What are the limitations of the information processing approach?

Answer 9

-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)

Question 10

What are social cognitions?

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

What is social cognition influenced by?

Answer 11

• Perspective taking
• Theory of mind (other people have different perspectives and opinions)
• Egocentrism (imaginary audience)
• Personal fable (optimism bias)

Question 12

How does practical cognition: critical thinking improve in adolescence?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Practical cognition: decision making

Answer 13

Competence in decision making varies with age

Preadolescents < adolescents

Question 14

Are adolescents/emerging adults more likely to take more risks than children and adults?

Answer 14

-Automobile crashes
-Binge drinking
-Contraceptive use
-Crime
Highest among older adolescent males

Question 15

Risk taking: why do they do it?

Answer 15

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)

Question 16

What is the temporal gap?

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

How do psychosocial factors impact risky behaviours?

Answer 17

Psychosocial factors continue to develop into adulthood: Impulse control, Emotion regulation, Delay of gratification, Resistance to peer influence
Psychosocial immaturity undermining competent decision making?

Question 18

Brain development: emerging adulthood

Answer 18

• 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)

Question 19

Post formal thinking in emerging adulthood

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What is pragmatism (emerging adulthood)

Answer 20

adapting logical thinking to the practical constraints of greater situations

Question 21

What is Dialectical thought (emerging adulthood)

Answer 21

growing awareness that most problems do not have a single solution

Question 22

What is Reflective judgement (perry 1970/1999)

Answer 22

capacity to evaluate the accuracy and logical coherence of evidence and arguments

• Dualistic thinking transitions into multiple thinking
• Relativism
• Commitment

Question 23

What are the limitations of reflective thinking?

Answer 23

Maturation vs. education

Culture

Question 24

Cognition in emerging adulthood

Answer 24

Changing worldviews
Identity exploration
Continued development In competent decision making

Question 25

Risk taking behaviours in emerging adulthood

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What is the AIS

Answer 26

Adolescent invulnerability scale. Measures 2 types of invulnerability: Danger invulnerability and psychological

Question 27

What is short term/working memory?

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

What is long term memory

Answer 28

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.