PSY100 - Ch 10 The thinking mind: thinking, language and intelligence

Flynn effect

the substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallized intelligence test scores that were measured in many parts of the world over the 20th century

intelligence

the human ability to use knowledge, solve problems, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and adapt to environmental challenges

Broca’s area

left frontal lobe

Wernicke’s area

left temporal lobe, primary auditory cortex

non-fluent/Broca’s aphasia

characterized by difficulty in producing speech. What the patient manages to produce is slow and effortful, but it generally makes sense. Some patients retain the ability to curse

fluent/Wernicke’s aphasia

affects comprehension. Speech is rapid and fluent but virtually meaningless

aphasia

the loss of the ability to speak or understand language, resulting from a head injury or stroke

bilinguism/multilinguism

being fluent in 2 or more languages

linguistic determinism

the concept that language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge or thought, as well as thought processes such as categorization, memory, and perception (strong form)

linguistic relativism

some particular aspect of language influences some particular aspect of cognition (weak form)

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

the structure of a language determines a native speaker's perception and categorization of experience. (linguistic determinism vs linguistic relativism)

cognition

Internal mental processes including information processing, thinking, reasoning, and problem solving

analogical representation

A representation that maintains some of the characteristics of the real object (e.g., maps)

symbolic representation

representations which do not correspond to the physical characteristics of actual objects (e.g., language)

concept

An organizing principle derived from experience

defining attributes/classical categorization models

objects are categorized according to a certain set of rules or specific set of features

Issues with the defining attributes model

• Often exceptions are made

• Some attributes are more important for defining category membership than others

• Some concepts appear to be better category members than others

prototype model

a representation of a category formed by averaging all members of the category. Objects are categorized according to how closely they resemble the “prototype” (or best example) of the category

exemplar model

a specific member of a category used to represent the category. Instead of a single prototype, all members of the category that we have encountered form the concept; we choose a specific example

taxonomic categorization

 similarity of features between objects (Western)

thematic categorization

relationship between objects (Eastern)

analytic thinking

rule based (Western)

holistic thinking

family resemblance (Eastern)

deductive reasoning

moves from broad generalizations to specific observations, aiming to test an existing theory

inductive reasoning

moves from specific observations to broad generalizations, aiming to develop a theory

reasoning

using information to determine if a conclusion is valid or reasonable

decision making

attempting to select the best alternative among several options

maximizers

people who want the very best

satisficers

people who want good enough

algorithm

A precise, step-by-step set of rules that will reliably generate a solution to a problem

heuristics

mental shortcuts or “rules of thumb” used to reduce the amount of thinking that is needed to make a decision

availability heuristic

estimating the frequency of an event based on how easily examples of it come to mind

representativeness heuristic

A rule of thumb in which stimuli similar to a prototype are believed to be more likely than stimuli that are dissimilar to a prototype

recognition heuristic

A rule of thumb in which a higher value is placed on the more easily recognized alternative

affect heuristic

A rule of thumb in which we choose between alternatives based on emotional or “gut” reactions to stimuli

framing effects

refer to changes in the way information is perceived as a result of the way in which the information was presented (framing a decision to emphasize a negative or positive potential outcome)

problem

A situation in which a current state is separated from an ideal state by obstacles

problem-solving

The use of information to meet a specific goal

mental set

A framework for thinking about a problem

functional fixedness

A possible barrier to successful problem solving in which an object is considered only in terms of its most typical use (type of mental set)

eugenics

the belief that selective human breeding can improve the genetic makeup of the human species, eradicating genetic defects and other undesirable characteristics

psychometrics

A branch of psychology concerned with the objective measurement of mental abilities and other attributes

intelligence quotient (IQ)

A measure of individual intelligence relative to a statistically normal curve

general intelligence

A measure of an individual’s overall intelligence as opposed to specific abilities

fluid intelligence

The ability to think logically without the need to use learned knowledge, relying on information-processing skills such as reaction time, attention, and working memory

crystallized intelligence

The ability to think logically using specific learned knowledge

normal curve

A frequency curve where most occurrences take place in the middle of the distribution and taper off on either side (bell curve)

factor analysis

a statistical method that looks at how lots of different observations correlate and determines how many theoretical constructs could most simply explain what you see

dysrationalia

the inability to think and behave rationally despite having adequate intelligence

growth mindset

people believe their intelligence and talents can be improved through effort and actions

fixed mindset

you believe intelligence, talent, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable

sternberg’s theories on intelligence

intelligence results from information processing components being applied to experience for the purposes of adaptation to, shaping of, and selection of environments

* consists of analytical, practical and creative components

successful intelligence

capitalizing on strengths, compensating for weaknesses; critical importance of adaptivity

analytical intelligence

IQ tests, cognitive abilities

practical intelligence

applying your knowledge to real-world settings

creative intelligence

applying knowledge in novel circumstances

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences

promoted the idea that people can show different skills in a variety of different domains 

emotional intelligence

the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you

morphemes

smallest meaningful units in a language, such as syllables or words

phoneme

basic speech sounds in a language

intelligence quotient

mental age divided by chronological age times 100

mental age

in intelligence testing, the average cognitive ability displayed by people of a given age

norm testing

standard used to compare an \n individual’s performance on a test with that of others

entity theory of intelligence

the belief that intelligence is a fixed trait, a personal quality that cannot be changed