PSY210 Chapter 7

Thinking and Intelligence

Cognition

Thinking, encompassing perception, knowledge, problem solving, judgment, language, and memory.

Cognitive Psychology

The field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think.

Concept

A category or grouping of linguistic information, images, ideas, or memories.

Prototype

The best example or representation of a concept.

Natural Concept

Concepts created naturally through direct or indirect experiences.

Artificial Concept

Concepts defined by a specific set of characteristics that they always exhibit.

Schema

A mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts.

Role Schema

Makes assumptions about how individuals in certain roles will behave.

Event Schema

A set of behaviors that can feel like a routine, also known as a cognitive script.

Language

A communication system involving words and systematic rules to organize them and transmit information.

Lexicon

The vocabulary of a given language.

Grammar

The set of rules used to convey meaning through the use of a lexicon.

Phoneme

A basic sound unit of a given language.

Morpheme

The smallest unit of language that conveys some type of meaning.

Semantics

The process by which we derive meaning from morphemes and words.

Syntax

The way words are organized into sentences.

Critical Period

A window early in life where proficiency at acquiring language is maximal.

Overgeneralization

Extension of a language rule to an exception to the rule.

Linguistic Determinism

The idea that language may influence the way that we think.

Problem-Solving Strategy

A plan of action used to find a solution.

Trial and Error

A problem-solving strategy continuing to try different solutions until the problem is solved.

Algorithm

A problem-solving formula that provides step-by-step instructions to achieve a desired outcome.

Heuristic

A general problem-solving framework or mental shortcut.

Mental Set

Persisting in approaching a problem in a way that has worked in the past but is not working now.

Functional Fixedness

The inability to perceive an object being used for something other than what it was designed for.

Anchoring Bias

Focusing on one particular piece of information when making a decision or solving a problem.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to focus on information that confirms your existing beliefs.

Hindsight Bias

The belief that an event you just experienced was predictable all along.

Representative Bias

Making a decision or judgment based on perceived similarity to existing stereotypes.

Availability Heuristic

Making a decision based on an example, information, or recent experience that is readily available.

Intelligence

A complex characteristic of cognition often studied through various general and specific theories.

Crystallized Intelligence

Characterized as acquired knowledge and the ability to retrieve it.

Fluid Intelligence

Encompasses the ability to see complex relationships and solve problems.

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Sternberg's theory identifying three types of intelligence: practical, creative, and analytical.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to understand emotions in yourself and others, show empathy, and regulate responses.

Creativity

The ability to generate, create, or discover new ideas, solutions, and possibilities.

Divergent Thinking

Thinking 'outside the box' to arrive at unique, multiple solutions to a problem.

Convergent Thinking

The ability to provide a correct or well-established answer or solution to a problem.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

A score earned on a test designed to measure intelligence.

Standardization

Ensuring that test administration, scoring, and interpretation of results are consistent.

Norming

Giving a test to a large population to collect comparison data and establish norms.

Flynn Effect

The observation that each generation has a significantly higher IQ than the last.

Bell Curve

A graph in the shape of a bell demonstrating a normal distribution of a trait in a population.

Intellectual Disability

Diagnosed when an individual has an IQ score below 70, adaptive functioning deficits, and onset before age 18.

Range of Reaction

The theory that each person's response to the environment is unique based on their genetic makeup.

Learning Disabilities

Specific neurological impairments affecting areas like reading or language, unrelated to overall intellectual ability.

Dysgraphia

A learning disability that results in extreme difficulty writing legibly.

Dyslexia

A common learning disability involving the inability to correctly process letters and sound-letter correspondence.

Dyscalculia

Difficulty in learning or comprehending arithmetic and math facts.