psyc2050 lecture 10

These flashcards cover key concepts and facts from the PSYC 2050: Cognition lecture on imagery and foresight.

What enables a person to be aware of the world and their experiences?

The mind.

What are representations in cognitive psychology?

Representations are ABOUT something and have a REFERENT and a SENSE.

In the context of representations, what is a referent?

The referent is what is being represented (e.g., a particular house).

What are two types of representation?

Analogue representations and Propositional representations.

What is imagery?

Imagery is the mental representation of sensory experiences.

What does Paivio’s dual coding hypothesis suggest?

Information is represented in both verbal and imaginal (visual) codes.

What is one key finding related to concrete words in memory?

Concrete words are remembered better than abstract words because they can be stored in both verbal and imaginal codes.

What is the predicate or propositional calculus used for in representation?

It represents relationships in a structured way, storing the meaning rather than exact content.

What does the size effect in mental imagery demonstrate?

Imagining different sizes (like a frog next to an elephant) influences the response time to questions about the image.

What does the Functional Equivalence Hypothesis propose?

Mental imagery uses similar cognitive mechanisms as perception, despite being different processes.

What kind of tasks did Segal & Fuscella use to study interference effects in imagery?

Auditory detection and visual detection tasks alongside imagery tasks.

What does Symons’ interference hypothesis argue about dream imagery?

Visual hallucinations in dreams do not impair the detection of crucial auditory or tactile information.

What was found in Shepard and Metzler's mental rotation study?

There is a linear relationship between the degree of rotation and reaction time.

What is visual neglect syndrome and its association with mental imagery?

Damage to the right parietal lobe leads to neglect not just in perception but also in imagined space.

What does PET imaging reveal about mental imagery?

Imagery activates primary visual and memory areas more than perception does.

What is 'Mentalese'?

It is thought to be the language of the mind, representing thoughts in verbal and imaginal forms.

What ability do humans have that relates to mental time travel?

Humans can relive past events and pre-live future events in their imagination.

What does mental time travel allow us to evaluate about future events?

It enables us to assess their likelihood and desirability.

What concept did Redshaw & Suddendorf emphasize in their research?

The ability to prepare for mutually exclusive future possibilities.

What are some cognitive resources shared between imagery and perception?

Similar cognitive mechanisms are involved in both processes, causing interference effects.

What are some benefits of human foresight?

It allows for simulation of events, preparation for opportunities and threats, and gives behavioral flexibility.

What challenges do foresight capabilities pose?

They can also lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and greed.

What overarching theme is discussed regarding our future challenges?

The need to utilize our capacity for foresight to address issues like pollution and climate change.

What are the main learning objectives discussed in the lecture?

To describe theories of imagery, provide empirical reasons for imagery's similarity to perception, and explore links between memory and foresight.