Unit 2a: Cognition Flashcards
Perception
the way we construct our representations of the external world
select , organize , and interpret our sensations.
Bottom Up Processing
taking sensory information and assembling it .
Top Down processing
using models, ideas, and expectations to interpret sensory information.
perceptual Set
mental predisposition to percieve things in a particular way based on expectations, expreiences, or context.
perceptual set and top down processing combination
You have a perceptual set about something and use top-down processing to understand your perceptions.
Gestalt Psychology
= entirety
- studies how the mind intergrates and organizes sensory information into meanginful entirely.
- Three Principle: Closure, Figure and Ground, Grouping
- you don’t see the ears, nose, and fur, but instead you see the dog.
Closure (Gestalt)
- individuals tend to perceive incomplete objects as complete.
- If you see a circle that’s not all the way round, your brain thinks, “That’s a circle!” and fills in the missing part.
Figure and Ground (Gestalt)
- the way people distinguish an object( the figure) from its background (the ground).
- Imagine when you see a toy car on the floor. Your brain focuses on the car and not on the carpet around it.
Grouping
- objects are grouped together due to proximity and similiarity.
- If you have a bunch of red blocks and a bunch of blue blocks, your brain likes to put the red blocks together and the blue blocks together.
Selective Attention
ability to focus on a specific stimulus or task while ignoring other distractions.
Cocktail Party Effect
focus on one convo amidst a noisy environment, while still being able to detect relevant information.
Intentional Blindness
individuals fail to notice unexpected or conspicious stimuli in their visual field becasue their attention is focused somehwere.
Perceptual Constancy
we tend to recognize objects as being constant and unchanging despite variations in the sensory input.
- size
- shape
- color
- brightness
Depth Perception
Enables us to visually judge distance
Depth Cues
visual info that allows us to percieve depth/distance.
Binocular Depth Cues
require both eyes
monocular depth cues
only require one eye
Binocular (Retinal Disparity)
differnet images from each eye are combined to give a sense of depth and dimension
Binocular (Convergence)
amount of inward movement of eyes signals how close an object is.
Monocular (Relative Size)
objects that appear larger are perceived as being closer
Monocular (Relative Clarity)
objects that are clearer and more detailed are presumed as being closer.
Monocular (Texture Gradient)
the texture of a surface becomes less distinct and more compressed as it recedes into distance
Monocular (Linear Perspective)
parallel lines seem to be coverging as they recede into distane
- vanishing point drawings
Monocular (Interpositon)
an object that partially covers or overlaps another object is presumed to be closer to the observer.
Apparent Movement
perception of movement in stationery object.
Systems Theory
There are two systems.
System 1: “Fast
- unconsious
- memorizes quickly
System 2: “Slow”
- consious
Cognition
the process of knowing, understanding, remembering, and communicating
Concept
cognitive category that allows people to group similar objects, events, ideas, or expreiences.
ex. comfort food
Prototype
the “ideal type” of a category
Schema
cognitive framework that helps to organize and interpret information based on prior knowledge and experiences.
Assimilation
incorporating new info or experiences into existing schemas by adding information similar to what is already known.
Accomodation
adjusting or changing existing schemas in response to new information that doesn’t fit into current schemas
- inclusions
Algorithms
prodecure/ set of rules that gurnatee a solution to a problem when followed correctly.
Heuristics
a mental shortcut or rule of thumb that simplifies decision making and problem solving by reducing the cognitive load.
Representativeness Heuristics
estimating the likelihood of something based on how similar it is to existing mental categories.
Availability Heuristics
Estimating the likelihood of an event is based on how easily examples or instances come to mind.
Mental Set
Approaching problems in a particular way based on past experiences or habits.
Especially if the method has been successful.
Priming Effect
exposure to a stimulus influences the response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious awareness.
Framing effect
when the same information is perceived differently depending on how it is described or framed.
Gambler’s Fallacy
The belief that past events or outcomes in a random process will influence future events
Sunk-Cost Fallacy
Tendency to stick with a decision we’ve invested time, money, or energy into, even if the current costs outweigh the benefits.
Creativity
- ability to generate novel and useful ideas, solutions, or products.
- involves thinking in original ways and making connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.
Divergent Thinking
involves generating a wide variety of possible solutions or ideas in response to an open-ended problem or question.
Convergent Thinking
involves narrowing down multiple ideas or solutions to find the best or most effective answer to a specific problem.
Functional Fixedness
Tendency to think of objects only in terms of their usual functions
Intelligence
The ability to acquire, understand, and apply knowledge and skills.
Reasoning
Problem-solving
Abstract thinking
Ability to adapt to new situations.
General Intelligence Theory
suggests there is a general factor of intelligence called “g”
General intelligence represents a broad, overarching capability that affects specific cognitive skills and tasks.
Multiple Intelligences Theories
Various theories claim that intelligence is more than one thing
Chronological Age
Actual Age
Mental Age
the average age of your mental capability
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
IQ is a standardized score derived from an intelligence test.
Achievement Tests
measure what you have learned
Aptitude Test
predict your ability to learn
Fixed Mindset
believes intelligence is:
-static (doesn’t change)
-innate part of us
wants to look smart
tendency to:
-avoid challenges
-ignore useful feedback
Growth Mindset
believes intelligence is:
-dynamic (changeable)
-can be developed.
wants to learn
tendency to:
-embrace challenges
-learn from criticism
Standardization
process of administering and scoring a test in a consistent manner across different individuals or groups.
allows for fair comparisons of scores.
Norms are created by pre-testing a representative sample. Scores are then compared with the norms.
Validity
the extent to which a test measures what is intended to measure.
Construct Validity
The degree to which a test accurately measures the theoretical construct or concept it is intended to assess. Construct validity involves evaluating whether the test aligns with theoretical
Predictive Validity
The extent to which a test accurately predicts future performance or outcomes related to the construct being measured. For example, predictive validity examines whether a test score can forecast academic achievement or job performance.
Reliability
The consistency and stability of test scores over time and across different conditions.
Test-Retest Reliability
measure of the consistency of test scores when the same test is administered to the same individuals on different occasions.
Split-Half Reliability
A measure of the internal consistency of a test by comparing scores on two equivalent halves of the test.
Stereotype Threat
the concern that you will confirm a negative stereotype of your group.
Flynn Effect
observed rise in average IQ scores over time across many countries.
