Thinking, Intelligence & Language(1) (1)

Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Introduction

• Course: PSY 101 Introductory Psychology

• Instructor: Prof. Glenn Valdez

The Cognitive Revolution

• Cognition: Process of how information is processed and manipulated when remembering, thinking, and knowing.

• 1950s: Psychology resumes a focus on mental processes and cognitive functions.

• Analogy to Computers: Minds compared to computers; relates to the study of artificial intelligence (AI).

Thinking

• Major Components of Thinking:

  • Classification and Concept Formation

  • Problem Solving

  • Logical Reasoning

Concept

• Definition: Categories of objects or situations sharing common attributes.

• Expressed through images and words, distinct from actual objects or situations.

• Types of Concepts:

  • Formal Concepts

  • Natural Concepts

Formal and Natural Concepts

Formal Concepts

• Clearly defined categories based on specific criteria.

• Example: Definitions found in dictionaries.

Natural Concepts

• Categories formed from real-world perceptions and experiences.

• Involves exemplars, which are representative examples from real life.

Examples of Concepts

Animals:

• General Attributes: Skin, mobility, nutrition, respiration.

Specific Animals:

• Fish: Fins, gills, swims upstream to lay eggs.

• Birds: Wings, can fly, some characteristics like color or vocal abilities.

• Canary: Typically small, bright, can sing.

• Shark: Known for being dangerous, has fins, swims.

• Ostrich: Cannot fly, known for height.

• Salmon: Edible and migratory behavior.

Basic, Subordinate, and Superordinate Concepts

Concept Formation

• Visual Exercise: Compare two groups of shapes and determine which is more similar.

Problem Solving

Techniques:

• Algorithms: Step-by-step procedures that guarantee a solution for specific problems.

• Heuristics: General rules or shortcuts for problem-solving that may not guarantee a solution.

• Means-Ends Analysis: Strategy for reducing the difference between initial and goal states.

Logic

Types:

• Deductive Reasoning: Inferring specific instances from general principles.

  • Example: "If John is taller than Phil and Sue is shorter than Phil, then John is taller than Sue."

• Inductive Reasoning: Formulating general rules based on specific instances.

  • Example: "If ice is cold and all instances of ice are cold, then it's concluded all ice is cold."

• Affirming the Consequent: Logical fallacy, e.g., "If P, then Q; Q; thus P" is often invalid.

Inductive Reasoning

• Definition: Making generalizations from specific examples.

  • Example: Observing cold ice leads to the conclusion that all ice is cold.

• Visual Exercise: From the cards, determine the underlying rule.

Heuristics

Availability Heuristic:

• The tendency to judge the likelihood of events by how easily examples come to mind.

Representativeness Heuristic:

• Judging the probability of an event based on how closely it resembles the prototype of that category, often ignoring statistical information (base rate).

Confirmation Bias

• The tendency to seek out information that confirms existing beliefs while disregarding contradictory evidence.

  • Stages:

    • Evidence aligning with present views is processed and remembered.

    • Evidence contradicting present views is often overlooked or forgotten.

Political Source Identification

• Survey results indicate varying partisan identification based on media sources (Fox News vs. MSNBC).

• Example results show strong alignment with political affiliation based on main news source.

Problem Solving Example: Functional Fixedness

• Scenario: Subject needs to tie two strings hanging from the ceiling.

• Problem: Both strings are not accessible at once due to their positioning.

Intelligence

Definitions and Assessment

• Intelligence: A culturally reflective concept, varying in definitions.

• Measuring Intelligence: Focus on validity, reliability, and standardization of tests.

Intelligence Tests

Key Tests Include:

• Binet: Mental Age (MA)

• Stanford-Binet Test

• Stern: Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

• Weschler: WAIS and WISC

Intelligence: Normal Distribution

• Visual Representation of IQ distribution in the population:

  • Cumulative percentiles indicate performance levels across the standard curve.

Influences on Intelligence Testing

Factors to Consider:

• Cultural Bias in Testing: Recognizing potential biases in standard intelligence tests.

• Culture-fair tests: e.g., Raven Progressive Matrices.

• Genetic Influences: Heritability of intelligence, which increases as individuals age.

• Environmental Influences: The Flynn Effect, indicating rising IQ scores over generations.

The Flynn Effect

• Historical shift in average IQ scores over decades, showing improvement in intellectual capabilities.

Theories of Multiple Intelligences

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory:

• Analytical Intelligence: Skills for judging, evaluating, comparing, and contrasting.

• Creative Intelligence: Skills in designing, creating, and innovating.

• Practical Intelligence: Skills in applying, implementing, and executing ideas.

Language

Definition and Characteristics

• Language: A system of communication through symbols, encompassing spoken, written, or signed forms.

• Infinite Generativity: The capability to create endless meaningful sentences.

Language and Cognition

• Examines the relationship between language and cognitive processes.

Propositional Representations

• Mental sentences that encode the meaning of assertions (e.g., "Sherlock saw the man using binoculars").

Pragmatics

• Understanding of indirect meanings depending on context and audience (e.g., tone of voice).

• Examples of context-dependent questions leading to inferences.

Framing

• The way information is presented can significantly impact decision-making.

  • Case Study: Different choices lead to preference shifts when framed as gains versus losses.

Framing in the Real World

• Examples of how language shapes perceptions: terms like "progressive" vs. "conservative" or "pro-life" vs. "pro-choice".