Question | Answer |
Cognition | The mental activity that includes thinking and the understandings that result from thinking |
Thinking | The mental manipulation of representations of knowledge about the world |
Analogical Representations | Mental representations that have some of the physical characteristics of objects, they are analogous to the objects |
Symbolic Representations | Abstract mental representations that do not correspond to the physical features of objects or ideas |
Categorisation | Grouping things based on shared properties |
Concept | A category, or class, of related items; it consists of mental representations of those items |
Prototype Model | A way of thinking about concepts: Within each category, there is a best example, a prototype, for that category |
Exemplar Model | A way of thinking about concepts: All members of a category are examples; together they form the concept and determine category membership |
Stereotypes | Cognitive schemas that allow for easy, fast processing of information about people based on their membership in certain groups |
Schemas | Help us perceive, organise, and process information. We use schemas for: - Common situations that have consistent rules - People have specific roles within situational context |
Gender Roles | Prescribed behaviour for males and females |
Script | A schema that directs behaviour over time within a situation, dictates appropriate behaviours and the sequence in which they are likely to occur |
Decision Making | Attempting to select the best alternative from among several options |
Problem Solving | Finding a way around an obstacle to reach a goal |
Normative Decision Theoryies | Attempts to define how people should make decisions |
Descriptive Decision Theories | Attempts to predict how people actually make choices, not to define ideal choices |
Expected Utility Theory | Normative Theory: People make decisions by considering the possible alternatives and choosing the most desirable one |
Heuristics | Shortcuts (rules of thumb or informal guidelines) used to reduce the amount of thinking that is needed to make decisions |
Anchoring | The tendency, in making judgments, to rely on the first piece of information encountered or information that comes most quickly to mind |
Framing | In decision making, the tendency to emphasise the potential losses or potential gains from at least one alternative |
Anchor | Serves as a reference point in decision making |
Loss Aversion | When people make choices and the are much more concerned with costs than with benefits |
Availability Heuristic | Making a decision based on the answer that most easily comes to mind |
Representativeness Heuristic | Placing a person or object in a category if that person or object is similar to one's prototype for that category |
Affective Forcasting | The tendency for people to overestimate how events will make them feel in the future |
Base Rate | Refers to how frequently an event occurs |
Restructuring | A new way of thinking about a problem that aids its solution |
Mental Sets | Problem-solving strategies that have worked in the past |
Functional Fixedness | In problem solving, having fixed ideas about the typical functions of objects |
Algorithm | A guideline that if followed correctly will always yield the correct answer |
Working Backward | When the appropriate steps for solving a problem are not clear, proceeding from the goal state to the initial state can help yield a solution |
Insight | The sudden realisation of a solution to a problem |
Language | A system of communication using sounds and symbols according to grammatical rules |
Morphemes | The smallest language units that have meaning, including suffixes and prefixes |
Phonemes | The basic sounds of speech, the building blocks of language |
Syntax | A language's syntax is the system of rules that govern how words are combined into phrases and how phrases are combined to make sentences |
Aphasia | A language disorder that results in deficits in language comprehension and production |
Vocal Cords | Folds of mucous membranes that are part of the larynx, an organ in the neck, often called the voice box |
Wernicke's Area | An area in the left hemisphere where the temporal and parietal lobes meet, involved in speech comprehension |
Linguistic Relativity Theory | The claim that language determines thought |
Broca's Aphasia (Expressive Aphasia) | When Broca's area is damaged, patients develop Broca's aphasia, which interrupts their ability to speak. They can generally understand what is said to them, but cannot form words |
Wernicke's Aphasia (Receptive Aphasia) | When Wernicke's area is damaged, patients develop Wernicke's aphasia, in which they have trouble understanding the meaning of words. They are often highly verbal but what they say makes little sense |
Global Aphasia | Extensive damage to the left hemisphere can cause global aphasia, where the person cannot produce or comprehend language |
Telegraphic Speech | The tendency for toddlers to speak using rudimentary sentences that are missing words and grammatical markings but follow a logical syntax and convey a wealth of meaning |
Surface Structure | In language, the sound and order of words |
Deep Structure | In language, the implicit meanings of sentences |
Universal Grammar | According to Chomsky, all languages are based on the humans' innate knowledge of a set of universal and specifically linguistic elements and relationships |
Language Acquisition Device | According to Chomsky, humans are born with a language acquisition device, which contains universal grammar. This hypothetical structure enables all humans to come into the world prepared to learn any language |
Creole | Describes a language that evolves over time from the mixing of existing langauges |
Pidgin | An informal creole that lacks consistent grammatical rules |
Phonics | A methods of teaching reading in English that focuses on the association between letters and their phonemes |
Whole Language | A method of teaching reading in English that emphasises learning the meanings of words and understanding how words are connected in sentences |
Dyslexia | People who have dyslexia have trouble reading, spelling, and writing even though they have normal levels of intelligence. It results from impaired sound and image processing, especially for words that rhyme |
Intelligence | The ability to use knowledge to reason, make decisions, make sense of events, solve problems, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and adapt to environmental challenges |
Psychometric Approach | Approach to measuring intelligence which focuses on how people perform on standardised tests that assess mental abilities |
Achievement Tests | Assess people's current levels of skill and knowledge |
Aptitude Tests | Seek to predict what tasks, and perhaps even what jobs, people will be good at in the future |
Mental Age | An assessment of a child's intellectual standing compared with that of same-age peers; determined by comparing the child's test score with the average score for children of each chronological age |
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) | An index of intelligence computed by dividing a child's estimated mental age by the child's chronological age, then multiplying this number by 100 |
General Intelligence (g) | The idea that one general factor underlies intelligence |
Fluid Intelligence | Intelligence that reflects the ability to process information, understand relationships, and think logically, particularly in novel or complex circumstances |
Crystallised Intelligence | Intelligence that reflects both the knowledge acquired through experience and the ability to use that knowledge |
Factor Analysis | Statistical technique, items similar to one another are clustered. This is used to examine the correlations among intelligence test items |
Analytical Intelligence | Being good at problem solving, completing analogies, figuring out puzzles, and other academic challenges |
Creative Intelligence | Involves the ability to gain insight and solve novel problems, to think in new and interesting ways |
Practical Intelligence | Refers to dealing with everyday tasks |
Emotional Intelligence | A form of social intelligence that emphasises the abilities to manage, recognise, and understand emotions and use emotions to guide appropriate thought and action |
Simple Reaction Time | Might require a person to press a computer key as quickly as possible whenever a stimulus appears on the screen |
Choice Reaction Time | Might require a person to choose, as quickly as possible, the right response for the stimulus presented |
Inspection Time Tests | If a stimulus is presented and then covered up, how much viewing time does a particular person need to answer a question about the stimulus |
Savants | People you have minimal intellectual capacities in most domains, but at a very early age each savant shows an exceptional ability in come "intelligent" process |
Social Multiplier | An environmental factor or an entire environment, that increases what might have started as a small advantage |
Flynn Effect | The dramatic rise of IQ scores during the last century of intelligence testing |
Stereotype Threat | Apprehension about confirming negative stereotypes related to one's own group |
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