Unit 5.2: Cognition, Thinking, and Language Flashcards
cognition
all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, communicating
includes forming concepts
concept
mental grouping of simialr objects, events, ideas, or people
formed through prototypes (best example of a concept) – slower 2 recognize when object is further from prototype
function to readily recognize things - synthesizing lots of info with little effort
creativity
ability to produce new and valuable ideas
involves aptitude (ability to learn) but not the only factor
requires both convergent and divergent thinking
demands:
* expertise
* imaginative skills
* adventurous personality
* intrinsic motivation
* creative environment
convergent thinking
narrowing down solutions to find the single best one
divergent thinking
considering many different options as solutions
algorithm
mod 35
methodical, logical procedure that guarantees a solution to a problem
opposite of heuristics
heuristic
thinking shortcuts 2 solve problems. quicker than algorithms but more error prone.
insight
sudden realizaiton of a problem’s solution
Which phenomenons limit our creative problem solving by predisposing our thinking?
confirmation bias: search for info to support + ignore info that denies a preconception
fixation: inability to see problem from a new perspective, which results frmo one’s mental set (approaching problems in one particular way, usually a previously successful one)
intuition
effortless, immediate thought (oppsote of explicit thinking)
utilizes two heuristics:
* representativeness: estimating likelihood based on how they seem to match prototypes (shy person who wears glasses seems more likely to be librarian)
* avaiiability: estimating likelihood based on how readily examples come to mind (shark attacks seem more likely to kill than car crashes b/c more notable and scary)
overconfidence
tendency to overestimate accuracy of beliefs
negative effects diminish w/ experience, but ppl appear competent and live happier as positives
planning fallacy: overest. leisure time + underest. time it’ll take to do something
belief perseverance
clinging to a belief even in the face of contrary evidence
CONSIDER THE OPPOSITE
framing
the way an issue is posed
can sig affect judgment
90% survival rate v 10% death rate
opt out of organ donorship v opt in
What makes us fear things?
What ancestry prepared us to fear
What we cannot control
What is immediate
What’s available in memory
What’s disastrous
factor analysis
a statistical method that identifies the common cause of variance in different tests
ex: intelligence … verbal ability score»_space; = good on tests that requires verbal abilities
What is the similarity between adoptive children and their adoptive parents over time in terms of intelligence?
Adoptive children become slightly less similar to their adoptive parents over time in intelligence
phonemes
smallest distinctive sound units in a language
English uses abt 40
ex: cheers = “ch”, “ee”, “r”, “s”
morphemes
smallest language units that carry meaning
ex: readers…
“read”
“er” (one who reads)
“s” (multiple)
grammar
language’s set of rules that enable people to communicate
semantics
set of rules for deriving meaning from sounds
syntax
how words are arranged in grammatically correct sentences
What is the general timeline for learning language?
4 months: read lips, recognize differences in speech sounds
6-9 months: receptive lang (ability to understand what is said to/about them)
10 months: babbling stage (spontaneously utters various sounds that resemble household lang)
1-2 years: one word / two word stage
24 months+: telegraphic speech (simple sentences using mostly nouns and verbs)
What is B.F. Skinner’s operant learning language theory?
Children learn language the same way animals learn mazes, through operant conditioning
(learned behavior = nurture)
What is Noam Chomsky’s inborn universal grammar language theory?
language = unlearned natural human trait (not confined to spec language though)
explains how we can pick up lang + use grammar so well in pre-school
What is the critical period to learn language?
0-3 years = optimal window. BUT after 7 years, they lose the ability to master any language.