Key Terms for Lectures on Intelligence, Rationality, Cognitive Development & Aging

This flashcard set consists of 80 vocabulary terms and definitions derived from lecture notes covering intelligence, rationality, cognitive development, and aging.

INTELLIGENCE

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

G FACTOR (GENERAL INTELLIGENCE)

A single underlying mental ability that influences performance across many different cognitive tasks.

FLUID INTELLIGENCE (Gf)

The capacity to think logically and solve novel problems independent of acquired knowledge.

CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE (Gc)

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills that increases with age and experience.

CATTELL-HORN-CARROLL (CHC) THEORY

A comprehensive model of intelligence featuring a three-level hierarchy of cognitive abilities.

IQ (INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT)

A standardized score derived from intelligence tests, with an average score of 100.

HERITABILITY

The proportion of variance in a trait that can be attributed to genetic differences in a population.

FLYNN EFFECT

The observed substantial rise in IQ scores throughout the 20th century.

P-FIT MODEL (PARIETO-FRONTAL INTEGRATION THEORY)

A neuroscience model proposing that intelligence involves a distributed network in the brain.

COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT

The use of interventions to improve cognitive abilities in healthy individuals.

SINGLE FACTOR VIEW

The perspective that intelligence is one general mental ability underlying all cognitive tasks.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES VIEW

The theory suggesting intelligence comprises several independent domains, such as linguistic and logical-mathematical.

BINET-SIMON SCALE (1905)

The first practical intelligence test developed to identify learning needs in schoolchildren.

STANFORD-BINET (1916)

An adaptation of the Binet-Simon test that introduced the IQ formula.

WECHSLER SCALES

Separate intelligence tests created for different age groups.

WAIS-5

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale designed for ages 16-90.

WISC-V

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children for ages 6-16.

WPPSI-IV

Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence for ages 2.5-7.

PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF IQ

The extent to which IQ scores can predict academic and job performance.

PROCESSING SPEED AND INTELLIGENCE

The correlation between faster neural processing and higher IQ.

WORKING MEMORY

The capacity to hold and manipulate information in mind.

NEURAL EFFICIENCY HYPOTHESIS

The hypothesis suggesting that more intelligent brains use less energy during cognitive tasks.

MULTIPLE DEMAND (MD) NETWORK

A brain network activated across many demanding cognitive tasks.

TWIN STUDIES

Research comparing IQ correlations between monozygotic and dizygotic twins to assess heritability.

GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS

The interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental influences on IQ.

PLANNING FALLACY

The tendency to underestimate the time required to complete tasks.

OPTIMISM BIAS

The tendency to believe we are less likely than others to experience negative outcomes.

BASE RATE

The overall frequency or probability of an event in a population.

DUAL PROCESS THEORY

The theoretical model distinguishing between fast, intuitive thinking (System 1) and slow, deliberate thinking (System 2).

AVAILABILITY HEURISTIC

Judging the probability or frequency of events by how easily examples come to mind.

ANCHORING

The tendency for initial information to influence subsequent judgments.

CONFIRMATION BIAS

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms existing beliefs.

DYSRATIONALIA

The inability to think and behave rationally despite having sufficient intelligence.

HEURISTIC

A mental shortcut that allows for quicker decision-making but can lead to systematic errors.

COGNITIVE BIAS

A systematic deviation from rationality or good judgment.

ECOLOGICAL RATIONALITY

The idea that heuristics are adaptive tools that evolved to work well in real-world environments.

TRIPARTITE MIND

A model dividing the mind into three parts: Autonomous, Algorithmic, and Reflective.

MINDWARE

Knowledge and strategies that support rational thinking.

COGNITIVE DECOUPLING

The ability to create hypothetical representations separate from current reality.

BIAS BLIND SPOT

The tendency to recognize biases in others but not in oneself.

SUPERFORECASTING

The ability to make accurate predictions about future events using specific thinking strategies.

THEORY OF MIND

The understanding that others have mental states different from one's own.

OBJECT PERMANENCE

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight.

SENSITIVE PERIOD

A broader term indicating times when learning is easier and more effective.

NEURAL PLASTICITY

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.

SYNAPTIC PRUNING

The process of eliminating unused neural connections in the brain.

DEVELOPMENTAL PERIODS

Specific time windows during which certain experiences are essential for normal development.

CRITICAL PERIOD

A developmental window where specific input is crucial for normal outcomes.

VACCINE STUDY

Research highlighting that certain developments in social and cognitive functioning can be affected by social interaction during infancy.

AGE OF IMPLANTATION EFFECTS

The impact of the age at which cochlear implants are provided on language outcomes.

GENIE (Feral Child)

A case study illustrating the effects of extreme isolation on language acquisition and cognitive development.

ROMANIAN ORPHANS

A study highlighting the impact of severe deprivation on social and cognitive outcomes.

CRITICAL/SENSITIVE PERIODS

Periods in development during which specific experiences are particularly important for developmental outcomes.

THE RUSH RELIGIOUS ORDERS STUDY

A longitudinal study that linked cognitive function to brain pathology findings post-mortem.

FUNCTIONAL REDUNDANCY

The presence of multiple neural pathways supporting the same cognitive functions.

SYNAPTIC AND NEURAL RESERVE

The brain's capacity to compensate for damage through spare synaptic and neuronal capacity.

Cognitive Aging

The age-related changes in cognitive abilities that occur in the absence of disease.

MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI)

Noticeable cognitive decline that is not serious enough to interfere significantly with daily life.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

A progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and other cognitive impairments.

AMYLOID-BETA PLAQUES

Protein deposits accumulating in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

NEUROFIBRILLARY TANGLES

Twisted fibers made of tau protein that accumulate within neurons in Alzheimer's.

PRECLINICAL STAGE

The phase of Alzheimer's when pathological changes are present but there are no noticeable symptoms.

COGNITIVE RESERVE

The brain's resilience against damage which explains differing cognitive outcomes in individuals of similar pathology.

LATE-ONSET AD

Alzheimer's disease that occurs after age 65 often with multifactorial causes.

PROCESSING SPEED

The rate at which the brain can take in and respond to information.

WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY

The maximum amount of information that can be actively held in mind.

EPISODIC MEMORY ENCODING

The process of forming new memories related to specific events or experiences.

CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE

The accumulation of knowledge, facts, and skills that remains stable or increases with age.