Week 6 - Thinking & Language

How we learn?

Perception + Influencing Factors + Memory > Info Processing

What are the three components of the mind discussed in cognitive psychology?

Affect, cognition, and conation

Conation

Proactive part of motivation that link between knowledge, emotion and behavior

Affect

Emotional experience that include mood and emotions

Cognition

Awareness and mental processes such as reasoning

What defines a concept in cognitive terms?

A mental representation of a class of objects or events.

Attributes of Concepts

1. Primary

2. Secondary

Primary Attribute of Concepts

Concrete characteristics

Secondary Attribute of Concepts

Involve subjective

Concepts are formed based on semantic memory (Existing Memory)

True

Types of Concepts

• Natural

• Artificial

Natural Concepts

Directly observed in the natural world

Artificial Concepts

Defined by specific set of rules

Components of Concepts

• Prototype

• Exemplars

• Set of Features

Prototype - Concepts

Most typical example / average concept

Exemplars - Components

Specific instances stored in memory

Set of features - Concepts

Criteria for identification of new members of concept

Schemata

A framework for organizing knowledge

Functions of Schemata

• Modulate our attention (Focus more on info that aligns with existing)

• Enhance learning speed

• Facilitate fast thinking

• Help us simplify the world

Modification of Schemata

• Assimilation

• Accommodation

When I confront new information using assimilation, I…

Incorporate new information to an already existing schema.

Accomodation - Schemata Modification

Alter or Create new schema

Modification of Schemata is easier to change in adulthood than childhood?

False

Types of Schemata

1. Role / Social - Behavior of Roles

2. Person - How certain person would behave

3. Self - Beliefs about self

4. Event - Belief about events

Dark side of Schemata

1. Stereotypes

2. Prejudice

3. Modifies our memory

4. Modifies our perception

Problem - Solving

Figuring out what to do when you do not know what to do.

Steps of Problem-Solving

1. Realize there is a problem

2. Decide to act

3. Define problem

4. Research Solutions

5. Take Actions

Strategies of Problem Solving

1. Trial and Error

2. Algorithms

3. Dual Process Theory

4. Heuristics

Characteristics of Trial and Error

Accidental Success , type of learning

What strategy uses fixed rules for guaranteed outcomes?

Algorithms

The idea I have of Diego the lecturer before I met him is a 

Role Schema.

System 1 thinking is:

Fast, automatic, and heuristic-based.

Characteristics of System 2 - Dual Process Theory

Slow, rational, deliberate. rule-based

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts

Bias

A predisposition to favor a given conclusion over other conclusions

What is the representativeness heuristic based on? Which bias favors information that supports current beliefs?

Confirmation bias.

Mental Set Bias

Only seen solution that worked in the past

Hindsight Bias

We think the event was predictable after it has happen

Functional Fixedness

We cannot give an object a new use

Dunning Kruger Effect

Misconception of our own abilities

Decision Fatigue

Choice overload

Prospect Theory

We value loses more than equal gains

Founder of Prospect Theory

Kahnerman and Tversky

Risk - Aversion

Risky choice leads to gain

Risk Seeking

Risky choice lead to avoid losses

Bias in Prospect Theory

1. Framing Bias

2. Loss Aversion Bias → Pain loss > win

Language

A system of communication that uses symbols, sound, gestures to convey meaning, facilitate thoughts and social interaction

Building blocks of Language

1. Phonemes

2. Morphemes

3. Syntax

4. Semantics

5. Pragmatic

What is a phoneme?

The smallest unit of sound.

Morphemes

The smallest unit of meaning.

Syntax

Organization of elements (Grammar)

Semantics

Meaning of words

Pragmatic

Contextual use

Properties of Language

• Displacement

• Productivity / Creativity

• Arbitrariness

• Discreteness

• Cultural Transmission

• Reflexivity

The displacement property of human language refers to…

our ability to talk about things that are not there (past and future events).

Productivity / Creativity

Able to create infinite sentences

Arbitrariness

No link between word and meaning

Discreteness

Made of phonemes and morphemes to form meaning

Cultural Transmission

Learned socially

Reflexivity

Able to talk about language itself

Theories of Language

1. Behaviorist approach (Learn through reinforcement and intuition)

2. Nativist - Chomsky (Human Hardwired)

Linguistic relativity theory posits that

Language influences but does not determine thought.

Founder of Linguistic Relativity Theory

Sapir - Whorf

Linguistic Determinism

Language determine thought, mostly rejected

Dyslexia

Reading Difficulty, Affect decoding

Symptoms of Dyslexia

Spelling Issue, Reading Difficulty, Mispronunciation

Aphasia

Constellation of symptoms, neurological issue, does not affect intelligence

Aphasia causes

Stroke, Tumor, Traumatic

Broca’s Aphasia (Non-Fluent) - Cause

Damage left frontal lobe

Broca’s Aphasia (Non-Fluent) - Symptoms

• Broken Speech

• Aware

• Grammatically Simple

• Comprehension preserved

Broca’s Aphasia (Fluent) - Symptoms

• Fluent but nonsensical

• use of neologism

• Poor comprehension and unaware

Broca’s Aphasia (Fluent) - Caused

Left temporal lobe issue