Psychology Cognition (language and intelligence) Study Guide

language

our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

phonemes

in language, the smallest distinctive sound unit (oo sounds different in cook from boot)

morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language (friend vs Friends)

grammar

The system of rules governing the structure and use of a language

semantics

syntax

Semantics- deals with the meaning of words and sentences

Syntax- deals with the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

Babbling stage

one-word stage

two-word stage

full sentence

-baby noises

-age one and two, one word

-age two three, two words

-by six to ten full sentences should be used

Skinner's Theory of Language Development

Skinner, a behaviorist, thought that children learn language through imitation and reinforcement. As parents correct incorrect speech acts and reinforce correct ones, the child learns the rules of language.

Noam Chomsky and Universal Grammar

-All human languages contain nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

-All humans are born with the ability to learn a language and its grammar - Critical Period (best to learn a language as young as possible)

linguistic determinism

language determines the way we think - we think in a language

Metacognition

"Thinking about thinking" - active control and awareness of our thinking

Concepts

a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people

prototype

best example of a concept or category - first think of

convergent thinking

Thinking that focuses on coming up with the single best solution to a problem, lack creativity

divergent thinking

explores many possible solutions, lots of creativity

Algorithms

very specific, step-by-step procedures for solving certain types of problems

Heuristics

educated guesses or rules of thumb for narrowing down to the correct answer

Representative heuristic

comparing the present situation to the existing prototype already existing in our mind

availability heuristic

Basing decisions on examples and information that immediately comes to mind.

insight

a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem - Aha moment

functional fixedness

the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving

belief preservation

tendency to cling to one's personal beliefs in the presence of contradictory evidence, impediment to intelligence

belief bias

The tendency to judge arguments based on what one believes about their conclusions rather than on whether they use sound logic

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore contradictory evidence

inductive vs. deductive reasoning

inductive: specific to general (data driven)

deductive: general to specific (logic driven)

general intelligence

Charles Spearman - Intelligence is a general cognitive ability that can be measured numerically

fluid intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

emotional intelligence

the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions

savant syndrome

a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill

Sternberg's Triarchic Theory

our intelligence is best classified into three areas: analytical, creative, and practical

Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale

The world's first standardized intelligence test, containing items intended to measure mental abilities

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test

the widely used American revision of the original French Binet-Simon intelligence test

Flynn effect

The rise in average IQ scores that has occurred over the decades in many nations

aptitude test

a test designed to predict a person's future performance - measures future ability to learn something

achievement test

a test designed to assess what a person has learned

Standardization

defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group

test reliability

the extent to which a test yields consistent result

test validity

The ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

the WAIS is the most widely used intelligence test for adults

Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Eight intelligence types