Chapter 7: Cognition, Language, and Intelligence

Cognition

Thinking; Encompasses processes associated with perception, knowledge, problem solving, judgement, language, and memory

Concept

Groups of linguistics information, images, ideas, and memory; used by the brain to organize information

Prototype

The best example or representation of a concept (e.i. dog = lab)

Trial and error

Trying different solutions until one works; most common problem solving strategy

Algorithm

Step by step instructions used to get the desired outcome

Heuristic

Working backwards to solve a problem; mental shortcuts (ex: when hiring people, automatically removing resumes with spelling mistakes)

Intuition

A form of knowledge that appears in consciousness without obvious deliberation; a gut feeling

Insight

The understanding of a specific cause and effect within a particular context

Fixation

The human tendency to approach a given problem in a set way that limit’s one’s ability to shift to a new approach to that problem

Mental set

When one persists in approaching a problem in a way that’s worked before but isn’t now

Belief perseverance

The tendency to cling to beliefs in the face of contrary evidence

Convergent thinking

The ability to provide a correct, well-established solution; associated with cognition

Divergent thinking

Thinking outside the box, allows people to arrive at unique, multiple solutions; associated with creativity

General intelligence (g)

Can be measured and compared among people

Multiple Intelligences Theory

Each person has at least 8 intelligences, each person typically excels in some and not so good in others

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Intelligence is made of three parts: practical, analytical, and creative intelligence

Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Model of Intelligence

Intelligence abilities are related and arranged in a hierarchy with the general at the top, broad in the middle, and narrow at the bottom

Epigenetics

The study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work

Growth mindset

The belief that a person’s intelligence and abilities can grow and improve with practice

Fixed mindset

The belief that your intelligence, talents, and other abilites are set in stone

Lexicon

Vocabulary of a language

Grammar

Rules used to convey meaning

Phoneme

Basic sound unit (“ah” and “eh”)

Morpheme

Smallest unit of language that convey meaning

Semantics

The process by which meaning is derived from morhpmes and words

Syntax

The way words are organized into sentences

Critical/sensitive periods of language development

The ability to master any language is lost around the age of 7

Universal grammar

Developed by Chomsky; Language acquisition follows a similar pattern in children from different cultures and backgrounds

Prelinguistic stage

From 0-6 months old; crying, whimpering, cooing; reflexive/instictive

Receptive language

Apparent by 6 months; recognition of differences in speech sounds with a preference for face-sound match

Productive language

Babbling » Holophrases » Two-word stage » Telegraphic speech

Broca’s area

The area of the brain responsible for language production and speech

Wernicke’s area

The area of the brain responsible for language/speech comprehension

Linguistic determinism

Whorf’s hypothesis that language determines the way we think

Linguistic relativism

Language has an influence on the way we think (e.i. one language might call a blue-green color blue and another would call it green)

Robert Sternberg proposed a __________ that divides intellectual functioning into different types of information processing

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Jahmal cites his cousin Luana's many car accidents as evidence that women are worse drivers than men. He overlooks the fact that his wife and three daughters have had far fewer car accidents than he and his two sons. Jahmal's prejudicial conclusion about women's driving skills best illustrates the effects of…

Confirmation bias

Just passing by a person who sneezes and coughs heightens our perceptions of various health risks. This best illustrates the impact of…

The availability heuristic

Noam Chomsky has argued that children's readiness to learn grammar rules is a(n)…

Biological predisposition

When developmentalists considered fluid and crystallized intelligence to determine if intelligence continues to grow, slow, or decline with age, what did they discovered?

Fluid intelligence does decline; however, crystallized intelligence hold steady and can improve

Jennifer was asked, "Do you want to help save the lives of innocent children?" before being asked if she would sign a petition in support of gun control legislature. Jennifer decided to sign the petition. This demonstrates…

How framing an issue can nudge our attitudes and decisions

Psychologist Carol Dweck believes that training students to believe that intelligence is changeable, not fixed, can help them develop ________, in which students attribute their successes to hard work, not to fixed intelligence

A growth mindset

Convergent thinking is to academic aptitude as divergent thinking is to..

Creativity

Those who learn sign language as teens never become as fluent as children exposed to sign language from birth. This best illustrates the importance of ________ for mastering language

A critical period

With increasing age, identical twins' intelligence test scores become ________ positively correlated. With increasing age, adoptive siblings' scores become ________ positively correlated

More; less

The ability to learn a new computer software program is to ________ as knowledge of state capitals is to ________

Fluid intelligence; crystallized intelligence

What kind of test measures a person's level of knowledge in a given subject area?

Achievement test

Manny's wife had a terrible day at work, and then after work she had to drive the children to their after-school activities. To top it all off, she has yet to make dinner plans. When Manny comes home from work, he fails to notice his wife's stress level and instead asks if he can go out with his friends to watch a football game. Manny is demonstrating a low level of…

Emotional intelligence

After a skydiving accident, Laurie was unable to make sense of other people's speech. It is likely that she suffered brain damage to…

Wernicke’s area

Contemporary psychologists are most likely to criticize Whorf's linguistic determinism hypothesis for…

Underestimating the extent to which thinking occurs without language