Topic 3 thinking and intelligence

Cognition

Set of mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and understanding. Includes perception, attention, memory…

General intelligence

Accounts for overall difference in intellect

Specific abilities

Accounts for ability level in narrow domain

Fluid intelligence

Capacity to learn new ways of solving problems without prior experience or education of it

Crystallized intelligence

Accumulated knowledge of the world acquired over time

Gardner’s multiple intelligences

Argues that the concept of general smartness is wrong. Suggests there are multiple intelligences

Sternberg’s triarchic model

Suggests three distinct types of intelligencem analytical, practical and creative

WAIS

Modern intelligent tests that is most commonly used for adults, variety of mental tasks of overall assessment of intelligence

Eugenics

Movement of encouraging people with good genes to reproduce and discouraging people with bad genes from reproducing

Genetic influence

One source of intelligence that has evidence based on twin studies where identical twins show higher similar IQ than fraternal twins

Environmental influences

Potential source of intelligence cause by school, attitute, teacher expectances…

Flynn effect

The rise of general increase of IQ over time. Might be because of better nutrition, better resources and gettin better at taking tests

Cognitive economy

Pitfall in our thinking that consists of us trying to reduce our mental effort by relying in heuristics

Cognitive bias

Systematic pattern of deviation from rational judgment. We seek out evidence that supports our beliefs and deny evidence that contradicts them

Representative bias

Judgement about the likelihood that something belongs to a category based on stereotypes

Base rate

How common a characteristic or behavior is to start with

Hindsight bias

Tendecy to overestimate how well we predicted smth after it occurred

Availability heuristics

Making judgements about likelihood of an occurrence based on ease in which comes to our minds. Ex: if a dog attacked someone it must be a big dog

Framing effect

The way info is presented can influence decision making

Functional fixedness

difficulty conceptualizing that an object typically used for one purpose can be used for another

Mental set

Becoming stuck in a specific problem solving strategy, inhabiting our ability to generate alternatives