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Category
set of objects that can be treated as equivalent in some way, share many properties
Concepts
mental representations we form of categories
categories = well-defined
can give definition that specify what is in/out of category
parts of definition (2)
Necessary features for category membership
Features = jointly sufficient for membership
Borderline Items
items not clearly in or out of a category
Experiments showing borderline membership
ask subjects rate whether number of items are in different categories ā found a continuum, no obvious break in membership judgements
Typicality
some items are ābetterā members than others, predict how ppl interact with categories
Influences of typicality on cognition
more often judged as category members
faster speed of categorization
learned before atypical ones
easier learn category if provide typical examples
understand references more easily
tend say typical items before atypical ones
Family Resemblance Theory
item more likely to be typical if have features frequent in category and not have features in other categories
Category Hierarchies
concrete categories nested inside larger, abstract categories
basic level of categorization
neutral, preferred category for object, at right level of specificity.
not universal
what level of labelling is preferred
basic level of categorization
Why prefer basic level categorization
more differentiated - category members = similar to each other but different from members of other categories
superordinate categories
members are NOT very similar to one another
subordinate categories
members are very similar to other categories
Theories of Concept Representation (2)
Prototype Theory
Exemplar Theory
Prototype Theory
have summary representation of category represented by set of weighted features, learn general description that apply to category as whole ā classify item by see how well match weighted list of features
typical category members in prototype theory
have more highly weighted features that match well with conceptual representation
Exemplar Theory
concept of category = remembered examples of category, when see object ā compare to exemplars in memory ā compare similarity score ā choose category with highest score
Learning about new concepts
faster at learning concepts that make sense, connect to previous knowledge
Knowledge approach to concepts
concepts tell us about real things in the world, knowledge of world is used in learning & thinking about concepts
Psychological Essentialism
tend believe that some categories have underlying property only in that category ā causes its other features, most donāt have āessenceā but firmly held belief
Tenets of Psychological essentialism (3)
objects are either in/out of category (no inbetween)
resistance to change of category memberships/ properties connected to essence
for living things, essence passed on to children
Cognitive Development
development of thinking across the lifespan
Theories of cognitive development (3)
Stage Theory (piaget)
sociocultural theories
Information processing theories
Stage Theory
focus on whether children progress through qualitatively different stages of development
Piagetās Discrete stages
leaps and bound, changes in type (not amount) of ability, must master 1 stage before moving on , develop schemata, physical environment = important
Schemata
mental frameworks/bodies of knowledge, organize & synthesize info abt person, place, thing
Assimilation
process new info about world into existing schemata
Accommodation
process of altering existing schemata bc of new info
equilibrium
process of reorganizing schemata
Sociocultural Theories
emphasize how other people & cultureās attitudes, values, beliefs of surrounding culture influence childās development
Information processing Theories
examine mental processes that produce thinking at any one time & transition processes that lead to growth in that thinking
Example of Nature & nurture working together to shape development
Visual Development - depth perception rely on seeing patterned light & having normal brain activity in response during infancy, if no receive patterned light then depth perception = altered even after surgery
How do childrenās genes affect nature of development?
more attractive, well-tempered babies = treated better ā influence cognitive development
How do children shape own cognitive development?
choose own environment, choose attend more to some things and less to others
Quantitative Changes
gradual, incremental change
Qualitative Changes
large, fundamental change
are changes in childrenās thinking qualitative or quantitative?
BOTH
Jean Piagetās 4 discrete stages of childrenās development
Sensorimotor stage (birth-2)
Preoperational Reasoning Stage (2-6/7)
Concrete Operational Reasoning Stage (6/7-1/12)
Formation Operational Reasoning Stage (11/12 - rest of life)Se
Sensorimotor stage
thinking realized through perceptions of world & physical interaction with the world
limited mental representations
no object permanence
Substages of Sensorimotor (6)
Reflexes
Primary Circular Rxns - intentionally repeat actions to trigger response
Secondary Circular Rxns
Coordination of Rns - imitate othersā behavior, understand objects
Tertiary Circular Rxns - trial & error experimentation
Early Representational Thought - understand world thru mental operations
Preoperational Reasoning Stage
show symbolic representation capabilities (drawing, language)
focus on single dimension when require multiple dimensions ā conservation problems
Skills during preperational stage
operations - reversible mental processes
symbolic representations - characteristics to inanimate objects
egocentrism - see world from their perspective only, pass theory of mind tests by age 4
FAIL conservation test - same properties even if change shape/arrangement
Concrete Operational Reasoning Stage
can focus on multiple dimensions
think logically in most situations
canāt think in systematic scientific ways
Formation Operational Reasoning Stage
reasoning power of mature adults
doesnāt occur w/out exposure to formal education in scientific reasoning
Object permanence
objects donāt disappear when canāt see
A-not-B Error
move ball to new box, baby still look old box
Challenges to Piaget
cognitive development is more continuous
children show earlier knowledge of object permanence if shorter wait time
developmental changes timing is influenced by childrenās specific experiences
phonemic awareness
awareness of how components sound within word ā crucial skill in learning how to read
why are there diff levels of math knowledge btwn children of diff $$ backgrounds?
higher income families engage in more numerical activities (chutes & ladders) ā spatial, kinesthetic, verbal, time-based cues
Vgotskyās Socio-cultural Theory
physical AND social environment = important to development, driven by language
Intersubjectivity
Join attention & Social Referencing
Autism
developmental condition that emerge in first 3 years & persist through life
Joint Attention
sharing attention at something with others
Social Referencing
take cues from others when in unfamiliar situations
Zone of proximal development
child try skills beyond what can do independently with guidance from adults
scaffolding
teaching child within zone of proximal development
Symptoms of Autism (2 categories)
presence of difficulties in social interactions & communication: eye contact, navigating give & take of group convo, difficulties with social info processing in visual & auditory sensory modalities
repetitive/restricted cognitions, behaviours
The Social Brain
set of interconnected neuroanatomical structures ā process social info, enable recognize & evaluate mental states of others
Parts of the social brain (4)
Amygdala, orbital frontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, posterior superior temporal sulcus region
Amygdala
recognize emotional states of others, experiences & regulate own emotions
orbital frontal cortex
support ārewardā feeling from being around other people
fusiform gyrus
detects faces & support face recognition
posterior superior temporal sulcus region
recognize biological motion, help interpret & predict actions & intentions of others
social perception
initial stages in processing of info ā accurate analysis of dispositions & intentions of others
ways to study activity in brain across lifestyle (2)
fMRI, ERP
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
magnets measure levels of oxygen in brain, detect brain regions with increase in blood flow when view/listen social stimuli, good spatial resolution, WHERE brain activity occurs
Event-related potentials (ERP)
direct measurements of firing of group of neurons in cortex ā sensors on scalp while view/listen stimuli, good temporal resolution, WHEN brain activity occurs
most thoroughly investigated areas of the social brain in ASD (2)
superior temporal sulcus, fusiform gyrus
superior temporal sulcus
perception & interpretation of biological motion, orient young to sources of sustenance, support, learning
superior temporal sulcus in ppl with autism
decreased sensitivity to biological motion, decreased activity during biological motion perception
superior temporal sulcus in ppl with risk but no autism
increased activity ā compensatory mechanism
fusiform gyrus
face perception, preferential attention to faces & able to recognize faces in first few days life
fusiform gyrus in ppl with autism
decreased attention to human faces, lower activity when viewing faces ā slowed processing
what is important in treatment of ASD?
diagnose & treat early bc is developmental problem
why is it hard to diagnose ASD?
not many reliable predictors in 1st year of life, behaviors of infants = highly variable & unreliable, need to measure brain activity