midterm 2

Question 1

spreading activation

Answer 1

when thinking about something, related concepts in memory are slowly getting activated. When we stop thinking about something, other ideas are more free to create associations with others

Question 2

forgetting fixation

Answer 2

if your mind is fixated on the wrong solution, incubation can help you free the association connected with the idea and therefore allowing your mind to discover a better path.

Question 3

gestalt psychology

Answer 3

although a sensory experience can be broken down into individual parts, the way those parts relate to each other as a whole is often what the individual responds to in perception.

Question 4

einstellung

Answer 4

the development of a fixed state of mind. You start to solve problems all the same way even though better or faster way to solve the same problem exist. (example of the jars in class)

Question 5

types of problem solving in Gestalt

Answer 5

• reproductive: in order to solve a problem you need to re-use your past experiences
• productive: it is characterized by restructuring and insight, accompanied by the “A-ha” experience.

Question 6

problem-space theory

Answer 6

initial state is connected to final state through many paths. Your goal is to find the fastest path existing. Algorithms and heuristics are used to move along the path

Question 7

theory related to special process

Answer 7

representation change theory

Question 8

representation change theory

Answer 8

there’s a misleading/incorrect initial representation of the problem, once we restructure the problem and arrive to the correct initial representation, we can solve the problem in one leap. Insight occurs once we eliminate self-imposed constraints, decomposing the problem in chunked items.

Question 9

theory related to business-as-usual

Answer 9

progress monitoring theory

Question 10

progress monitoring theory

Answer 10

insight doesn’t exist. It appears only when you realize that the problem cannot be solved in the moves remaining, when criterion failure is almost reached.

Question 11

what are tDCS

Answer 11

Non invasive brain stimulation. Small shocks sent to a part of the body

Question 12

what is rATL

Answer 12

right anterior temporal lobe

Question 13

offline mode

Answer 13

why when thinking about something we tend to look up to the ceiling: in order to stop the visual information from coming in.

Question 14

response to insight 200 milliseconds before response

Answer 14

pupil dilation

Question 15

response to insight 300 milliseconds before response

Answer 15

activation of gamma rATL, integrative processing

Question 16

response to insight 560-300 milliseconds before response

Answer 16

PROBABLY switch into awareness

Question 17

response to insight 1300-560 milliseconds before response

Answer 17

active suppression of input, it allows us to get a response that we still didn’t think of

Question 18

response to insight 2000 milliseconds before response

Answer 18

blinking and fixation outside of the problem area

Question 19

final definition of insight

Answer 19

the moment when a novel and non- obvious idea suddenly emerges into awareness interrupting one’s current train of thoughts, bringing a feeling of pleasure and reward. it is preceded by an internal focus of attention and disengagement from external stimuli.

Question 20

Blair and Mumford

Answer 20

They identified 12 attributes that people use when evaluating ideas

Question 21

The 12 attributes that people use when evaluating ideas

Answer 21

1. risky (high probability of incurring in a loss)
2. easy to understand
3. original
4. complete description (provides detailed steps needed to make the idea work)
5. complicated
6. consistent with existing social norms
7. probability of success
8. easy to implement
9. benefits many people
10. produces desired societal rewards
11. time and effort required to implement
12. complexity of implementation

Question 22

Simonton

Answer 22

He found a strong relationship between productivity and significant creations: when comparing individuals, he found that people who produced more ideas during their lifetime were the ones most likely to have generated a significant work.

Question 23

Runco and Dow

Answer 23

They found that people with lots of unique ideas were also better at grading them on a scale of creativeness.

Question 24

Cesare Lombroso

Answer 24

He explained how the way our brain skull is shaped influences our behavior. This is the main thesis of phrenology

Question 25

Phrenology

Answer 25

how the way our brain skull is shaped influences our behavior.

Question 26

dual process theory

Answer 26

• Type 1 (intuitive processing): fast and automatic, low effort put into it
• Type 2 (analytic processing): slow and controlled, high effort put into it

Question 27

Default mode network

Answer 27

It activates when not performing a task (daydreaming, mind-wandering etc).

Question 28

what parts of the brain does default mode network involve

Answer 28

frontal lobes and posterior cingulate

Question 29

salience network

Answer 29

Switching between default and central network, it involves emotions

Question 30

central executive network

Answer 30

Engages conscious brain to think and maintains attention on a prioritized task.

Question 31

what parts of the brain does central executive network include

Answer 31

frontal lobes

Question 32

what is DMN

Answer 32

default mode network

Question 33

what is FPN

Answer 33

frontoparietal network

Question 34

control network

Answer 34

constrains cognition to meet specific task goals. FPN is also associated with attention, working memory and decision-making

Question 35

what s DRT

Answer 35

Dopaminergic Replacement Therapy, used on Parkinson’s disease patients to see if dopamine affected our creativity

Question 36

what is ESM

Answer 36

experiential sampling method

Question 37

characteristics of flow state

Answer 37

• loss of self-consciousness (lack of awareness of bodily needs)

-clear goals

-high degree of concentration on a task

-oblivious to the environment around them

-oblivious to the passage of time

Question 38

Csikszentmihalyi is associated to what theory

Answer 38

experiential sampling method

Question 39

effects of psychedelics on DMN and FPN

Answer 39

Psychedelics represent a state of unconstrained cognition that facilitates the switch between default mode network and control network, therefore facilitating the shift between idea generation and evaluation.