Exam 3 Thinking, Language, and Thought

Cognition

All mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating information.

Metacognition

Cognition about our cognition; Keeping track of and evaluating our mental processes.

Concepts

Mental groupings of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.

Prototype

Mental image or best example of a category or concept.

Trial and Error

Attempt various solutions to a problem until they find one that works; systematically or otherwise.

Algorithms

Methodical, logical rule, or procedure that guarantees a solution to a problem; slow process

Heuristics

Simpler thinking strategies that are usually speedier than an algorithm, but more prone to error.

Insight

Abrupt, true-seeming, and often satisfying solution (eureka moment).

Confirmation Bias

Searching for information that supports our ideas and ignoring or distorting contradictory evidence.

Fixation

Inability to see a problem from a new perspective.

Mental Set

The tendency to approach a problem with previously successful mindset.

Intuition

Effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought; Implicit/unconscious knowledge gained from experience.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging the likelihood of events in terms of how well they seem to represent or match particular prototypes.

Availability Heuristic

Judging the likelihood of events based on their mental availability in memory.

Motivated Reasoning

Rather than using evidence to draw conclusions, conclusions are used to assess evidence.

Framing

Changing the perception of an idea or issue through deliberate presentation.

Creativity

Divergent Thinking

Expanding the number of possible problem solutions.

Convergent Thinking

Narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution.

Components of Creativity

Expertise, Imaginative Thinking, Venturesome Personality, Intrinsic Motivation, Creative Environment

Language

A dynamic system of symbols used for thought and communication.

Phoneme

Smallest distinctive sound unit in language.

Morpheme

Smallest language unit that carries meaning.

Grammar

System of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand each other.

Semantics

Deriving meaning from sounds.

Syntax

Rules for ordering words.

Noam Chomsky

Father of modern linguistics; Humans predisposed to learn grammar; All languages share basic grammar rules.

Broca's Area

Frontal lobe brain area, usually in the left hemisphere; Helps control language expression by directing the muscle movements involved in speech.

Wernicke's Area

Brain area in the left temporal lobe; Involved in language comprehension and expression.

Linguistic Relativism

Our words influence our thinking (mental categories. preferred pronouns).

Linguistic Determination

We can think about things that we don't have words for.