Unit 2- cognition, perception, and intelligence

What is perception?

How our brains organize and interpret information

What is bottom-up processing?

When our brain makes sense of information starting with small details

What is top-down processing?

Interpreting sensory information based on the larger context

What is selective attention?

When you focus on one specific piece on information while ignoring others

What is the cocktail party effect (haha cock)

Our ability to focus on a single conversation in a noisy environment

What is inattentive blindness?

Our tendency to not notice unexpected stimuli when our attention is focused on someone else

What is change blindness?

The failure to notice large changes in our environment when they happen simultaneously with a disruption

What are schemas?

Mental frameworks that shape our expectations and guide attention

What is a perceptual set?

Our tendency to perceive things a certain way based on expectations and context

What does gestalt psychology state?

That we perceive whole objects in an attempt to find structure and make sense of the world

What is figure ground?

The ability to distinguish an object from its surroundings

What are binocular depth cues?

Visual information that requires both eyes

What are the binocular cues?

Retinal disparity and convergence

What is retinal disparity?

When each eye sees a slightly different picture because of the eyes different positions

What is convergence?

When our eyes move inwards towards each other to focus on a close object

What are monocular depth cues?

The visual indicators of distance and space that can be perceived using just one eye

What are the five monocular depth cues?

Relative clarity, relative size, texture gradient, linear perspective, and interposition

What is relative clarity?

A monocular depth cue where objects that are clearer are perceived as closer and hazier objects are farther away

What is relative size?

Monocular cue where objects closer appear larger and objects further away appear smaller

What is texture gradient?

The way we perceive texture as denser and finer as it recedes into the distance

What is linear perspective?

Monocular cue where parallel lines appear to converge with distance

What is interposition?

When one object overlapping another is perceived as closer

What are perceptual constancies?

Our brain’s ability to see objects as unchanging even when the image on our retina changes

What are the types of perceptual constancies?

Shape constancy, size constancy, and color constancy

What is shape constancy?

When we perceive an object as having the same shape even when our view or distance changes

What is size constancy?

When we perceive an object as remaining the same size even when its distance from us changes

What is color constancy?

Our ability to perceive object colors as stable under varying light conditions

What is apparent movement?

The perception of motion when there isn’t actually movement

What is metacognition?

When we think about our thinking

What are executive functions?

Cognitive processes to allow us to generate, organize, and carry out goal oriented behaviors

What is a prototype?

A perfect example of something

What is assimilation?

When you add information to an existing schema

What is accommodation?

Modifying existing schemas or creating new ones

What is convergent thinking?

Cognitive process that focuses on finding one single solution to a problem

What is functional fixedness?

A cognitive bias that fixes someone into using an object in only one way

What are algorithms?

Step by step procedures that guarantee a correct solution

What are heuristics?

Mental shortcuts that simplify decision making

What is divergent thinking?

Thought processes used to generate creative ideas and multiple solutions

What is a representative heuristic?

A judgement about an event based on stereotypes

What is an availability heuristic?

A heuristic that relies on immediate examples

What is a mental set?

A tendency to approach issues a certain way because that method worked previously

What is framing?

How information’s presentation influences perception

What is a gambler’s fallacy?

When an individual believes that the outcome of a random event is influenced by previous events

What is a sunk cost fallacy?

When we continue to invest time, money or effort into something because they’ve already devoted so much

What is intelligence?

The ability to learn from experience, solve problems and adapt to new situations using knowledge

What is g?

General intelligence

What is general intelligence?

Overarching mental ability that influences performance on cognitive tasks

What is the multiple intelligence theory?

The theory that individuals possess different types of intelligence

What are the types of intelligence?

Visual, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, intrapersonal

What is a growth mindset?

A belief that abilities can be developed through dedication

What is a fixed mindset?

A belief that abilities are predetermined at birth and cannot be changed

How does one calculate intelligence quotient?

A division of mental age by chronological age, which is multiplied by 100

What is IQ?

A numerical measure of an individuals cognitive ability compared to others in their age group

What is standardization?

The process of establishing a consistent testing procedure and environment

What is an achievement test?

A test that assesses a person’s knowledge or skills in a specific area

What is an aptitude test?

A measure of a person’s potential for learning or mastering specific skills in the future

What is construct validity?

Whether the test gives the right results and measures what it’s supposed to

What is predictive validity?

Something that shows well a test can forecast a future outcome or behavior

What is test-retest reliability?

the assessment of reliability by administering the same test to the same group twice

What is split-half reliability?

Dividing a test into two halves and compares test scores between them

What is the Flynn effect?

Over time, average IQ scores increase over generations

What is stereotype threat?

The phenomenon where individuals underperform in situations where they are afraid of confirming a stereotype

What is stereotype lift?

The phenomenon where individuals from stereotypically advantaged groups succeed in situations due to positive expectations