Lecture 6 - Thinking and Intelligence Flashcards
Thinking
allows us to manipulate info internally to construct models if the world and regulate ourselves to meet goals
Representations can take two forms
images and concepts
mental images
representation of any sensory experience that is stored in memory and can be retrieved for use later
concepts
a concept is an organizing principle derived from experience
Theories of thoughts as concepts
feature detection model, prototype theory and examplar theory
Feature Detection Model
people determine whether an object can fit into a concept by considering overlapping features (dogs are furry with tails, birds have wings and fly)
Prototype Theory
a representation of a category formed by averaging all members of the category (prototypical dog has an average size, average colour etc.)
Problem with Feature Detection Model
there are always exceptions
Exemplar Theory
an exemplar is a specific member of a category used to represent the category (fruit - apple, planet - earth)
Concepts as theories
concept formation can be theory building as concepts do not exist in isolation put part of a vast interconnected of memories
Concepts as schemas
concepts are embedded in schemas (set of expectations about objects and situations)
concepts and the brain
different patterns of brain activity are identified when people think about different topics
problem
exists when there is an obstacle or a difference between where you are now and where you would like to be
well-defined problem
have clear initial state, goal state, a defined set of operators and a limited number of solutions
ill-defined problem
no clear initial state, no specified goal states of defined set of operatores and a large number of unpredictable solutions
four steps of problem solving
- understand the problem
- make a plan
- carry out the plan
- look back
step 1. understand the problem
involves representing or framing the problem in a useful way
suggestions for step 1. understanding the problem
- big or long-term goals should be broken into intermediate goals
- personal bias interferes with good problem solving
- functional fixedness: person’s tendency to think about a concept in its most typical form and not others (string problem)
- brooding: judgemental process in which we compare our current situation with an ideal situation
step 2. make a plan
involves generating possible solutions and then choosing the best to implement
you generate solutions (step 2) through
algorithms and heuristics
algorithms
precise, step-by-step rules that will reliably generate a solution to a problem (takes a while)
heuristics
rules of thumb that help constrain the problem in certain ways but they do not guarantee that you will find a solution
types of heuristics that are faulty
recognition, availability, representative and affect heuristic
recognition heuristic
rule of thumb in which a higher value is placed on the more easily recongised alternative
availability heuristic
rule of thumb in which the frequency of an event’s occurence is predicted by the ease with which the event is brought to mind
representative heuristic
rule of thumb in which stimuli similar to a prototype are believed to be more likely than stimuli dissimilar to prototype
affect heuristic
rule of thumb in which we choose between alternatives based on emotional gut reactions to stimuli
critical thinking skills
not thinking of decisions as right or wrong, being influenced by others, doing something because it is always done that way
suggestions while making decisions
understand probability, encourage dissenting opinions from others, accurate assessmetn of own knowledge, do not rush
language
system for communicating thoughts and feelings using arbitrary signals like sounds, gestures and writing
language allows us to organize and manipulate
our thiking, problem-solving and decision making
language reflects and shapes
thought
phonemes
basic speech sounds
morphemes
meaningful units of language that are the smallest components of speech carrying meaning
aphasia
loss of the ability to speak or understand language
Broca’s aphasia
affects the production of speech
Wernicke’s aphasia
affects speech comprehension
dyslexia is influenced by
genetic factors and has influence on phonological awareness
brain differences due to dyslexia
grey matter volume and white matter connectivity in circuits of language processing, also atypical brain lateralization and greater activation near Broca
intelligence
ability to understand complex ideas, adapt effectively to the environment, learn from experience, engage in reasoning etc.
intelligence quotient
measure of individual intelligence relative to a statistically normal curve
frequently used intelligence tests
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
IQ =
mental age / chronological age X 100
fluid intelligence
ability to think logically without needing previously learned knowledge (peaks in young adulthood and then declines)
crystallised intelligence
requires specific, learned knowledge such as vocabulary or maths (remains stable in adulthood)
biological influences on intelligence are in
brain structure, brain activity, intelligence and genetics
intelligence positively correlates with
brain volume
genes play a role in
intelligence (75% of variance can be attributed to genetics) but also environmental variables have an impact
55-70 IQ indicates
mild intellectual disability
40-55 IQ indicates
moderate intellectual disability (down)
25-40 IQ indicates
severe intellectual disability
IQ below 25
profound intellectual disability
