7.1

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Describe cognition
  • Distinguish concepts and prototypes
  • Explain the difference between natural and artificial concepts
  • Describe how schemata are organized and constructed

Understanding Cognition

Imagine all of your thoughts as if they were physical entities swirling rapidly inside your mind. The brain is endlessly engaged in various cognitive processes, including:

  • Perception
  • Processing
  • Planning
  • Organizing
  • Remembering
    As you navigate your daily life, most of your brain’s activity remains unnoticed, revealed only through the complex processes of cognition.
Definition of Cognition

Cognition is fundamentally defined as thinking, encompassing processes associated with:

  • Perception
  • Knowledge
  • Problem-solving
  • Judgment
  • Language
  • Memory

Cognitive psychology is the field dedicated to studying how individuals think, aiming to understand:

  • The interactions among thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving
  • Different types of intelligence and their measurement
  • The influence of emotional intelligence on success in various contexts
  • How information is organized into meaningful categories
    Cognitive psychologists focus on understanding why thoughts and behaviors manifest as they do, exploring countless topics within human thought.

Concepts and Prototypes

The human nervous system can process vast streams of information through various senses, forming a direct interface with the external environment. The process involves receiving stimuli, converting them to nervous impulses, and sending them to the brain for processing. This sensory information, combined with emotions and memories, forms thoughts ready for expression through language and storage in memory.

Importance of Concepts

To effectively manage the extensive information processed, the brain categorizes thoughts into what are known as concepts.

  • Definition of Concepts: Concepts are the categories or groupings of linguistic information, images, ideas, or memories. They represent large ideas formed by analyzing, categorizing, and combining details into cognitive structures. Concepts help maintain organized, accessible information in the mind and are deeply influenced by semantic memory.
Example of Concepts in Action

For instance, the study of United States history does not involve merely memorizing events; instead, the brain synthesizes experiences from discussions, readings, and other materials to create an expansive understanding of history and its concepts—such as the judicial system and voting rights.

Concepts can vary in complexity:

  • Abstract concepts (e.g., justice)
  • Concrete concepts (e.g., types of birds)
  • Personalized concepts (e.g., ideas about friendship or family traditions)
Prototypes

The brain organizes information further through prototypes, which serve as the best examples or representations of a concept.

  • Example of a Prototype: When thinking of a dog, an individual’s early experience is likely shaped by the features of their first pet. For someone whose first pet was a Golden Retriever, this breed might serve as the prototype for all dogs.

Natural and Artificial Concepts

In psychology, concepts can be categorized into:

  • Natural Concepts: Formed through direct or indirect experience.

    • Example: A person living in Essex Junction, Vermont has direct experiences with snow, while someone from Saint Vincent, who has never seen snow, may rely on indirect knowledge from pictures or films.

  • Artificial Concepts: Defined by specific characteristics that do not change, such as geometrical shapes.

    • Examples of Artificial Concepts:
    • A triangle always has three sides and angles.
    • A square has four equal sides and four right angles.
    • Mathematical formulas, such as area (length × width).

Artificial concepts facilitate understanding and build upon each other, which enhances communication and complex thought.

Functions of Concepts

According to Goldstone and Kersten (2003), concepts serve as building blocks that can combine in endless ways to create intricate thoughts, forming a foundation for higher cognitive processes.

Schemata

Definition of Schema: A schema is a mental construct composed of clusters or collections of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932).

  • Schemata organize information to improve cognitive efficiency by relying on activated assumptions.
Types of Schemata

There are several types of schemata, including:

  1. Role Schema: Makes assumptions about individuals in specific roles.
    • Example: Meeting someone proclaimed as a firefighter activates the schema of a brave, selfless individual.
    • Caveat: These assumptions may not always hold true (e.g., the firefighter may not be brave but may work in the profession for financial reasons).
  2. Event Schema (Cognitive Script): Pertains to behavior patterns that feel routine.
    • Example: The routine when entering an elevator includes waiting for passengers to exit, stepping in, and facing the doors to select the appropriate button.
    • Cultural Variation: Event schemata can differ vastly across cultures (e.g., greeting etiquette differs between the U.S. and Tibet).
Impact of Schemata on Behavior

Event schemata shape habitual behaviors—making them automatic and sometimes challenging to alter. For example, when driving, reaching for a ringing phone becomes ingrained, despite conscious awareness of the dangers involved. Current research indicates that modifying such event schemata is crucial to addressing the issues surrounding texting while driving, which has grown into a public health crisis in recent years.

In summary, the aspects of concepts and schemata are integral to our cognitive processes that shape our perceptions and understanding of the world around us.