UNIT 2 - Chapter 7 - Cognition: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language Flashcards
thinking (cognition)
mental activity that goes on in the brain when a person is organizing and attempting to understand information and communicating information to others
mental images
mental representations that stand for objects or events and have a picture-like quality
concepts
ideas that represents a class or category of objects, events, or activities
prototype
an example of a concept that closely matches the defining characteristics of the concept
problem solving
process of cognition that occurs when a goal must be reached by thinking and behaving in certain ways
decision making
process of cognition that involves identifying, evaluating, and choosing among several alternatives
trial and error (mechanical solution)
problem-solving method in which one possible solution after another is tried until a successful one is found
algorithms
very specific, step-by-step procedures for solving certain types of problems
heuristic
an educated guess based on prior experiences that helps narrow down the possible solutions for a problem. Also known as a “rule of thumb.”
representativeness heuristic
assumption that any object (or person) sharing characteristics with the members of of a particular category is also a member of that category
availability heuristic
estimating the frequency or likelihood of an event based on how easy it is to recall relevant information from memory or how easy it is for us to think of related examples
functional fixedness
a block to problem solving that comes from thinking about objects in terms of only their typical functions
mental set
the tendency for people to persist in using problem-solving patterns that have worked for them in the past
confirmation bias
the tendency to search for evidence that fits one’s beliefs while ignoring any evidence that does not fit those beliefs
creativity
the process of solving problems by combining ideas or behavior in new ways
convergent thinking
type of thinking in which a problem is seen as having only one answer, and all lines of thinking will eventually lead to that single answer, using previous knowledge and logic
divergent thinking
type of thinking in which a person starts from one point and comes up with many different ideas or possibilities based on that point
intelligence
the ability to learn from one’s experiences, acquire knowledge, and use resources effectively in adapting to new situations or solving problems
g factor
the ability to reason and solve problems, or general intelligence
s factor
the ability to excel in certain in certain areas, or specific intelligence
triarchic theory of intelligence
Sternberg’s theory that there are three kinds of intelligence; analytical, creative, and practical
intelligence quotient
a number representing a measure of intelligence, resulting from the division of ones mental age by ones chronological age and then multiplying that quotient by 100
reliability
the tendency of a test to produce the same scores again and again each time it is given to the same people
validity
the degree to which a test actually measures what it’s supposed to measure
deviation IQ scores
a type of intelligence measure that assumes that IQ is normally distributed around a mean of 100 with a standard deviation of about 15
intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder)
condition in which a person’s behavioral and cognitive skills exist at an earlier developmental stage than the skills of others who are the same chronological age; may also be referred to as developmentally delayed. This condition is formerly known as mental retardation
gifted
the 2 percent of the population falling on the upper end of the normal curve and typically possessing an IQ of 130 or above
emotional intelligence
the awareness of an ability to manage one’s own emotions to facilitate thinking and attain goals, as well as the ability to understand emotions in others
heritability
degree to which the changes in some trait within a population can be considered to be due to genetic influences; the extent to which individual genetic differences affect individual differences in behavior; in IQ, proportion of change in IQ within a population that is caused by hereditary factors
stereotype threat
condition in which being made aware of a negative performance stereotype interferes with the performance of someone that considers him/herself part of that group
language
a system for combining symbols (such as words) so that an unlimited number of meaningful statements can be made for the purpose of communicating with others
grammar
the system of rules governing the structure and use of a language
phonemes
the basic units of sound in language
morphemes
the smallest units of meaning within a language
syntax
the system of rules for combining words and phrases to form grammatically correct sentences
semantics
the rules for determining the meaning of words and sentences
pragmatics
aspects of language involving the practical ways of communicating with others, or the social “niceties” of language
linguistic relativity hypothesis
the theory that thought processes and concepts are controlled by language
cognitive universalism
theory that concepts are universal and influence the development of language
Kosslyn’s Fictional Island
Participants were told to push a button when they imagined a place that they were going to it. The pushing of buttons got further apart, when they had to find it.
Which of the following questions would be more likely to produce divergent thinking?
“What is a clothes hanger?”
“How many uses can you think of for a clothes hanger?”
“What does a clothes hanger typically look like?”
“How do you spell clothes hanger?”
“How many uses can you think of for a clothes hanger?”
A psychologist asks people to envision a circle. Next, he asks them to draw the circle they envisioned. When comparing the pictures, almost all circles look identical. The fact that a circle typically fits a specific and rigid set of rules is an example of a
natural concept
prototype
formal concept
fuzzy concept
formal concept
Researchers have found that it takes ____________ to view a mental image that is larger or covers more distance than a smaller or more compact one.
longer
the same amount of time
less time
half the time
longer
Dr. Garber works with children who have grown up in poor socioeconomic conditions. Many of her clients come from homes that do not emphasize education or social involvement, and opportunities for advancement are practically nonexistent. Many are malnourished, have been exposed to a variety of environmental toxins, and have multiple infections without adequate or timely health care. What might these children be at risk for?
organically induced deprivation
intellectual disability
increased emotional intelligence
genetic inhibition
intellectual disability
Research suggests that we engage mental images in our mind ____________ the way we engage or interact with physical objects.
a little
much like
randomly and completely different than
not at all like
much like
Which type of intelligence, according to Howard Gardner, would most likely be present in farmers, landscapers, and biologists?
visual/spatial
naturalist
existentialist
movement
naturalist
One day at work, Julie’s earring fell on the floor, and she was unable to find the back. To keep from losing her earring, Julie reinserted it and used part of a pencil eraser to keep the earring in place. Using a pencil eraser as a temporary earring back showed that Julie overcame
functional fixedness
a mental set
confirmation bias
transformation bias
functional fixedness
Trial and error is sometimes referred to as a(n)
heuristic
rule of thumb
mechanical solution
algorithm
mechanical solution
Lynn and Ted bought a new house with an unfinished basement. To determine how they want to finish it, they lay down tape on the floor to show where walls will go and rooms will be. This process of problem solving is known as
working backward from the goal
algorithms
trial and error
representativeness heuristic
working backward from the goal
What might be the best predictor of why some people do not excel in school but essentially succeed in their life and career choices?
cretinism
emotional intelligence
one’s intelligence quotient
phonemes
emotional intelligence
