Psych 1003 Midterm Exam

Properties of Language

1. Symbolic

2. Structured

3. Generative

Displacement

• Ability to understand past, future, or imaginary events through language

Syntax

• The proper order of symbols in a language

Surface Structure

• The symbols used in language and their order

Deep Structure

• The underlying meaning from combining words

Pragmatics

• How social context effects our understanding of language

• Ex. Asking “do you have the time?” vs “I don’t understand this, do you have the time?”

Garden Path Sentences

• Show how we interpret sentences linearly and not as a whole

• Ex. The old man the ships

Sensitive Period

• Time in someone’s life where they are quicker to learn a certain skill

Critical Period

• Time in someone’s life where if a certain skill is not developed, it will later be significantly harder or impossible

Focused Thinking

• Goal based and focused on problem solving

Unfocused Thinking

• Includes daydreaming and unintentional creative thinking

Imaginal Thought

• Images that we can see, hear, or think of in our minds

Motoric Thought

• Mental representations of a physical movement

Negative Set

• Tendency to solve problems in a particular way even when another approach is more effective

Functional Fixedness

• Being fixed in perception, unaware of alternate functions/interpretations

Availability Heuristic

• Making assumptions based on what is already known

• Judging events based on how easily we think of related examples

Confirmation

• Urge to prove something right before considering it as wrong

• Look for evidence that confirms and ignore evidence that contradicts

Intelligence

• The ability to acquire knowledge, think and reason effectively, and adapt to environmental changes

Francis Galton

• Intelligence is entirely inherited

• Believed upper class was genetically superior to lower class

• Set stage for attempts to measure intelligence

Alfred Binet

• Mental abilities evolve with age at a constant rate unique to everyone

• Developed concept of mental age, which became a part of IQ measures

William Stern

• Creator of IQ tests

• Calculated by dividing mental age by actual age and multiplying by 100

Crystallized Intelligence

• Ability to apply previously acquired knowledge to present situations

Fluid Intelligence

• Ability to deal with situations with no prior knowledge

Two-Factor Theory

• G Factor: General Intelligence that remains stable

• S Factor: Specific Intelligence that varies within individuals

Triarchic Theory

1. Meta Components

   • Problem solving skills

2. Performance Components

   • Mental processes used to perform a task

3. Knowledge-Acquisition Components

   • Learning and storing information

Expectancy Theory

• Behaviour is determined by your expectations for what goals will be met based on your actions (and how those goals are valued)

• Explains why people respond differently to the same incentive

Self-Determination Theory

• 3 Fundamental needs for fulfillment

  1. Competence

  2. Autonomy

  3. Relatedness

Achievement Motivation

• Desire to accomplish tasks and attain standards of excellence

• Can either motivate success or cause fear or failure

Mastery Goals

• Intrinsic motivation to acquire new skills for the sake of it

Performance Approach Goals

• Extrinsic motivation from social goals

Performance Avoidance Goals

• Demotivator due to fear of failure outweighing desire for success

Thematic Apperception Test

• Series of pictures of scenes where respondents tell a story of what they think if happening

• Reveals subconscious personality

Humanistic View

• We are motivated based on the hierarchy of needs

Emotions

• Feelings consisting of cognitive, psychological, and behavioural reactions to events that influence our goals

Expressive Behaviours

• Physically reacting to our emotions

Instrumental Behaviours

• Ways in which we try to adapt to the stimulus causing our emotions

• Ex. Studying for a test that is making you anxious

Cognitive Components of Emotion

• The context in which we perceive the stimulus influences our emotional reaction

• Ex. A phone call in the middle of the night will make you worried, whereas it won’t in the day

Lazarus’ Cognitive Appraisal Theory

• We conduct a cognitive appraisal of stimuli and THEN react relative to how the stimuli is perceived

Duper’s Delight

• Slight smile people often let out after lying

Microexpressions/Leakage

• Inability to perfectly mask or replicate faked emotions

• ex. Genuine smile will cause muscle tension around eyes that is hard to fake

Large Somatic Theory

• Physiological reactions inform our emotional responses

Bard Theory

• Thalamus sends information to cerebral cortex and internal organs simultaneously

• Physical and emotional reactions occur at once

Piaget’s Stage Model

• The brain builds new or alters old schemas to adapt to new information

Sensorimotor Stage

• First 2 years of life

• Understand world through physical interactions

Preoperational Stage

• 2-7 years old

• View the world exactly as it is

• Egocentric

Concrete Operational Stage

• 7-12

• Show reversible thinking but lack abstract reasoning

• Easily able to perform basic tasks

Formal Operational Stage

• 11-12

• Can think logically about abstract problems

• Able to form and test hypotheses

Zone of Proximal Development

• Tasks that can be achieved with assistance

• Provide insight into what abilities are developing

Theory of Mind

• The ability to understand that others hold unique and different thoughts, desires, and knowledge

• Develops around 3-4

• Lev Vygotsky

Whorfian Hypothesis

• The language you know shapes how you think about the world

Biological Language

• Acquiring language depends on brain chemistry

• There is a sensitive period of language acquisition

Environmental Language

• Social learning guides language acquisition

• Formal education is important

Psychological Language

• Cognitive processes are involved in learning a language

• Language influences how we think

Algorithms

• Procedures that automatically generate correct solutions to problems

Heuristics

• General rules that can be applied to various problems

Means-End Analysis

• A problem solving device in which you identify a goal and compare the difference between your goal and present situation

Subgoal Analysis

• Approaching a larger problem by creating subgoals

Representative Heuristic

• Making predictions based off of what we already know

Psychometrics

• Study of the statistical properties of psychological tests

WAIS-IV

• Series of subtests that fall into 4 index scales

• Verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed

Achievement Test

• Measure of one’s accomplishment in a particular subject based on a standardized set of experiences

Aptitude Test

• Measure of ability to gain from further experience/training in a given subject

Test-Retest Ability

• Consistency of results over time

Internal Consistency

• The correlation between items on a test, suggesting they are measuring a common characteristic

Interjudge Reliability

• The extent to which different judges will find the same results on a test

Flynn Effect/Rising Curve

• Average IQ has become progressively higher

• Likely due to better education, nutrition, and learning environments

Static Testing

• Scores are sole reflection of ability based on extremely detailed instructions

Dynamic Testing

• Subjects are given advice on how to improve after standard testing

• Measures ability to utilize advice and improve

Theory of Successful Intelligence

• Intelligence is based on what is required to meet a given culture’s measure of success

Drive Theory

• Physiological disruptions motivate us in ways to reduce tension

• Ex. Hunger energizes you to find food

Overjustification

• Adding extrinsic motivation to something that is enjoyed intrinsically may reduce intrinsic motivation

• Ex. When you’re paid to do your hobby it becomes a job

Approach-Approach Conflict

• Conflict between attraction to two incompatible goals

• One must be sacrificed to achieve the other

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

• Choosing between two alternatives, neither of which are desired

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

• Simultaneously being attracted and repelled by the same goal

• Ex. changing majors at the cost of having to do more school

Teratogens

• Environmental agents that can cause abnormal prenatal development

• Ex. HIV, Zika, Rubella

Cupboard Theory

• Babies attach to mothers because they provide food

• Doesn’t make sense because babies fw everyone

Harlow’s Monkeys

• Babies enjoy food in ADDITION to nurture and warmth

Indiscriminate Attachment

• All behaviours that evoke caregiving result in attachment from infant

Discriminant Attachment

• 3+ months

• infants direct attachment towards familiar caregivers

Specific Behaviour Attachment

• 7-8+ months

• Infants direct attachment towards specific caregivers

Secure Attachment

• Happy in presence, stressed without, happy upon return

Post Formal Thought

• Ability to reason logically about opposing viewpoints and accept contradictions