Intelligence, Cognition, Language & Social Psychology Lecture

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the lecture on intelligence, cognition, language development, and social psychology.

Intelligence

Ability to learn, adapt effectively to the environment, and understand and control mental activities.

Metacognition

Awareness and regulation of one’s own thought processes.

Factor Analysis

Statistical method used to identify clusters of related test items.

G Factor

General intelligence underlying all mental abilities (Spearman).

S Factor

Specific intelligence tied to a particular mental ability (Spearman).

Primary Mental Abilities

Seven basic components of intelligence identified by Thurstone (e.g., verbal comprehension, reasoning).

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Theory proposing several independent intelligences such as linguistic, spatial, musical, etc.

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Sternberg’s model with analytic, creative, and practical components.

Bioecological Model of Intelligence

Ceci’s view that intelligence results from innate ability, environment, and motivation.

Psychometric Approach

Defining intelligence via standardized psychological tests.

Reliability

Consistency of test scores over time.

Test-Retest Reliability

Administering the same test twice to assess score stability.

Split-Half Reliability

Comparing scores on two halves of a single test for consistency.

Validity

Extent to which a test measures or predicts what it claims to.

Content Validity

Degree to which test items represent the domain of interest.

Validity Coefficient

Correlation between test scores and an external criterion measuring the same trait.

Predictive Validity

Accuracy with which a test forecasts future performance.

Standardization

Uniform procedures for administering and scoring a test.

Normal Distribution

Bell-shaped symmetrical distribution with most scores in the middle.

Mean

Arithmetic average of a set of scores.

Median

Score that falls exactly in the middle of a distribution.

Mode

Most frequently occurring score in a data set.

Mental Age

Level of intellectual functioning relative to chronological age (Binet).

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

Score derived from standardized tests; originally mental age/chronological age × 100.

Eugenics

Movement advocating selective reproduction based on perceived genetic fitness.

WAIS

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, a widely used adult IQ test.

Flynn Effect

Worldwide rise in average IQ scores over decades.

Emotional Intelligence

Capacity to perceive, use, understand, and regulate emotions.

Social Intelligence

Ability to navigate social situations and relationships effectively.

Wisdom

Ability to make sound, practical judgments.

Creativity

Capacity to generate novel and valuable ideas.

Heritability

Proportion of trait variation attributable to genetic factors.

Heritability Coefficient

Statistical estimate of heritability for a given trait.

Neural Efficiency Hypothesis

Idea that brighter individuals show lower brain activity on easy tasks.

Brain Entropy

Number of neural states the brain can access during a task.

Intellectual Disability

Significantly below-average intellect plus deficits in adaptive behavior.

Down Syndrome

Intellectual disability caused by an extra chromosome 21.

Giftedness

Exceptional natural ability or talent; top 1–2 % on tests.

Language

System of symbols used for communication.

Phoneme

Smallest unit of sound in a language.

Phonology

Study of how phonemes are combined to produce speech.

Morpheme

Smallest language unit carrying meaning.

Syntax

Rules for word order and sentence structure.

Pragmatics

Practical aspects of language use, including context and non-verbal cues.

Non-Verbal Communication

Conveying meaning through body language, gestures, etc.

Cooing

Early vowel-like sounds produced around 2 months.

Babbling

Repetition of meaningless speech sounds around 6 months.

Telegraphic Speech

Two-word sentences used by toddlers (~2 years).

Language Acquisition Device

Chomsky’s innate neural mechanism enabling language learning.

Critical Period

Limited developmental window when certain skills are most easily acquired.

Sensitive Period

Time when the brain is particularly receptive to specific experiences.

Child-Directed Speech

High-pitched, simplified language used with young children.

Overregularization

Applying regular grammar rules to irregular words (e.g., “thinked”).

Broca’s Area

Left frontal brain region crucial for speech production.

Broca’s Aphasia

Difficulty producing coherent speech due to Broca’s area damage.

Wernicke’s Area

Left temporal region essential for language comprehension.

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Impaired understanding and fluent but meaningless speech.

Agrammatism

Inability to produce grammatically ordered speech.

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

Idea that language influences thought (Sapir-Whorf).

Automatic Processing

Effortless, fast thinking requiring minimal attention (Type 1).

Controlled Processing

Deliberate, effortful thinking requiring cognitive resources (Type 2).

Cognitive Control

Ability to guide thoughts and actions in line with goals.

Executive Function

Brain’s capacity to manage and manipulate multiple pieces of information.

Dysexecutive Syndrome

Impairments in planning and control of mental activities.

Problem Solving

Process of determining how to reach a goal.

Algorithm

Step-by-step procedure that guarantees a solution.

Heuristic

Mental shortcut that aids problem solving but doesn’t guarantee accuracy.

Insight

Sudden realization of a problem’s solution.

Mental Set

Tendency to persist with strategies that worked before.

Functional Fixedness

Seeing objects as having only one typical function.

Confirmation Bias

Seeking information that confirms existing beliefs.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging likelihood by how much something matches a prototype.

Availability Heuristic

Estimating probability based on how easily examples come to mind.

Framing

Impact of presentation on decision outcomes (gain vs. loss).

Metacognition (Mindfulness)

Thinking about one’s own thinking processes.

Theory of Mind

Awareness of one’s own and others’ mental states.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Anxiety disorder with intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors.

Schizophrenia

Disorder involving disorganized thought and loss of contact with reality.

Social Psychology

Study of how others influence thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Attitudes

Enduring evaluations of objects, people, or ideas.

ABC Model of Attitudes

Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive components of attitude.

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort from holding conflicting thoughts or behaviors.

Self-Perception Theory

Inferring attitudes by observing one’s own behavior.

Implicit Attitude

Unconscious evaluation toward an object or group.

Stereotype

Oversimplified, fixed belief about a group.

Prejudice

Negative feelings toward individuals based on group membership.

Realistic Conflict Theory

Prejudice arises from competition over scarce resources.

Social Identity Theory

Prejudice stems from categorization, identification, and comparison of groups.

Central Route Persuasion

Attitude change via logical, message-based arguments.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Attitude change via superficial cues (e.g., attractiveness).

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Securing compliance with a small request to increase likelihood of a larger request.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Starting with a large request likely to be refused to increase acceptance of a smaller request.

Appeal to Fear

Persuasion by highlighting negative consequences of non-compliance.

Attribution

Explanation for the cause of behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overemphasizing dispositional causes for others’ behavior.

Actor-Observer Effect

Attributing our actions to situations and others’ actions to dispositions.

Self-Serving Bias

Attributing successes to self and failures to external factors.

Norms

Shared rules about expected behavior in a group.

Descriptive Norms

Perceptions of what most people do.

Injunctive Norms

Perceptions of what people ought to do.