thinking, language, and intelligence

general intelligence (g)

general intelligence (g)

a factor that according to Spearman underlies specific mental abilities and is measured by every task on an intelligence test

factor analysis

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie ones total score

savant syndrome

a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing

EQ

the quotient that measures emotional intelligence

cohort

a group of individuals who share a similar characteristic or experience

intelligence test

a method for assessing an individuals mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others using numerical scores

achievement test

a test designed to asses what a person has learned

aptitude test

test designed to predict and person’s future performance, their capacity to learn

mental age

(binet) the chronological age that most typically corresponds with a given level of performance

stanford-binet

the widely used american revision by standford university of binet’s original intelligence test

IQ

the quotient that measures general intelligence

WAIS

most widely used intelligence test; contains verbal and performance (non-verbal) subtests

standardization

defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested standardization group

normal curve

the symmetrical bell shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes

content validity

the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest (a driving test that samples driving tasks)

predictive validity

the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior

stereotype threat

minority groups can feel threatened and score lower on intelligence tests when the tests are designed to make them feel inferior

flynn effect

increase in population intelligence quotient (IQ) observed throughout the 20th century

cognition

all the mental processes that have to do with thinking, processing, and understanding

concept

a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people

prototype

a mental image or a category that makes it easier to place new information into it

convergent thinking

occurs when the solution to a problem can be deduced by applying established rules and logical reasoning (solving a problem within the context of known information and narrowing down the solution based on logical inference)

divergent thinking

the process of creating multiple, unique ideas or solutions to a problem that you are trying to solve (spontaneous, free flowing thinking that leads to coming up with many different answers or routes forward)

algorithm

a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem- contrasts with heuristics

heuristics

a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error prone than algorithms

representative heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match particular prototypes; may lead to ignore other relevant infromation

availability heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness) we presume such events are common

insight

a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem, it contracts with strategy based solutions

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that confirms one’s preconceptions

fixation

the inability to see a problem from a new perspective; an impediment to problem solving

mental set

the tendency to approach a problem in a particular way, often in a way that has been successful in the past

intuition

immediate insight or perception, as contrasted with conscious reasoning or reflection

overconfidence

the tendency to be more confident than correct - to overestimate the accuracy of one’s beliefs and judgments

belief perseverance

clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

phoneme

the smallest unit of distinctive sound in a language

morpheme

the smallest unit that carries meaning in a language (ex: a prefix)

syntax

the rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences in a given language

grammar

a system of rules that allows us to communicate with others

babbling stage

the stage in speech development where the infant spontaneously utters various sounds that are unrelated to the language spoken at home (begins around 4 months)

one word stage

the stage in speech from about 1-2 years old where the child speaks in mostly single words

two word stage

the stage in speech beginning at  about 2 years old where the child speaks in mostly 2 word statements

telegraphic speech

the early stage in speech where a child speaks like a telegram (ex: “go car”) - usually just nouns, verbs, and auxiliary words

semantics

the set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language

linguistics

the scientific study of language and its structure

linguistic determinism

wharf’s hypothesis that language determines the way we think

linguistic influence

the influence that knowledge of one language has on an individual's learning or use of another language

functional fixedness

the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions, an impediment to problem-solving