CognitionMental activity for organizing, understanding and communicationThinkingMental activity that goes on in the brain when a person in processing informationAwareness of info in brain, making decisions about it, comparing it to other info and using it to solve problemsMental ImageryRepresentations that stand in for objects or events and have picture like quality are one of several tools used in thought processAreas of cortex associated with stored knowledge send info to visual cortexWhere image is perceived in the minds eyeConceptsIdeas that represent a class or category of objects, events or activitiesUsed to think about objects or events without having to think about all the specific examples of the categoryNatural Concepts:Concepts people form – not a result of a strict set of rules, but rather as the result of experiences with these concepts in the real worldPrototype:Concept that closely matches the characteristics of the conceptEx: apple is a prototype for fruitDevelop according to the exposure a person has to objects in that categoryProblem Solving and Decision Making StrategiesProblem SolvingOccurs when a goal must be reached by thinking and behaving in certain waysDecision MakingIdentifying, evaluating, and choosing among several alternativesTrial and ErrorMechanical solutionsAlgorithmsSpecific step by step procedures for solving certain types of problemsAlways result in the correct solutionHeuristicsSimple rule intended to apply to many situationsEducated guessed based on prior experiences that helps to narrow down the possible solutions to fix a problemEx: using Google instead of reading manualFaster but not always the correct solutionRepresentative Heuristic:Used for categorizing objects and assumes that any object that shared characteristics with the members of a particular category is also a member of that categoryCreated and sustains stereotypesAvailability Heuristic:Based on our estimation of the likelihood of an event based on how easy it is to recall relevant info from memory or think of related examplesInsightSolution to problem suddenly comes to mindProblems with Problem SolvingFunctional FixednessThinking about objects only in terms of their typical usesMental SetsTendency for people to persist on using problem solving patterns that have worked in the pastConfirmation BiasTendency to search for evidence that fits ones beliefs while ignoring any experience or behavior in new waysConvergent ThinkingProblem is seen as having only one answer is all lines of thinking will eventually lead to think single answer by using previous knowledge and logicDivergent ThinkingStarts at one point and comes up with many different ideas based on the one pointIntelligenceIntelligenceAbility to learn form ones experiences, acquire knowledge, and use its resources effectively in adapting to new situations or solving problemsSpearmanIntelligence as two different abilitiesG factorGeneral intelligence; ability to reason and solve problemsS factorSpecific intelligenceEx: music, business, artGardner’s Nine Intelligences1. Verbaluse language2. Musical3. Logical/mathematical4. Visual/spatial5. Movement6. Interpersonal7. Intrapersonal8. Naturalist9. ExistentialistSternberg’s Triarchic TheoryAnalyticalability to break down problemsbook smartsCreativeDeal with new and different concepts to come up with new ways to solve problemsPracticalAbility to automatically process certain aspects of informationStreet smartsMeasuring IntelligenceBinet’s mental ability testTest distinguished fast and slower learners and children of different age groupsSternIQ  multiply age by score on testMeaningless after 16 yearsWechsler Intelligence TestYields 4 scores derived from both verbal and non verbal subsetsTest ConstructionReliabilityTest producing consistent results each time is it given to the same individualValidityDegree to which a test actually measures what its supposed to measureStandardizationProcess of giving the test to large group of people that represents the kind of people for whom the test is designedMISSED 10/22/2014Intellectual DisabilityNeurodevelopment DisorderPerson exhibits deficits in mental abilitiesIQ score two standard deviations away from the meanAdaptive behaviorSkills that allow people to live independentlyBellow level appropriate for ageLimitations begin in developmental periodDSM-5Diagnosis of intellectual disability is based on deficits in intellectual functioning determined by standardized tests and clinical assessmentsConceptual, social, practicalCausesLead poisoningPrenatal exposure to mercuryInadequate brain development associated with povertyMalnutrition, lack of health care, lack of mental stimulation through typical cultural and educational experiencesFetal alcohol syndrome, fragile x syndromeGiftednessGiftedAbove an IQ of 130 (2% of population) giftedAbove 140 (less than .5%)  geniusTermanProved gifted children were socially well adjusted and often skilled leadersEmotional IntelligenceAbility to manage ones one emotions to facilitate thinking and attain specific goals, ability to understand what others feelExplanation for why some people do well in school but do not succeed in life and vice versaMayerConcludes that general intelligence and emotion intelligence are relatedHigh emotional intelligence  smarter in traditional senseHigher emotional intelligence  better social relationships, better academic achievements, associated more positively by others, more successful at workNature Vs. Nurture Intelligence50% of intelligence is due to hereditaryimpact of genetic factors increases with age91% by age 65hereditary estimates made only from group that was exposed to similar environmentno connection between ethnicity and IQLanguageLanguageSystem for combining symbols so that an infinite number of meaningful statements can be made for the purpose of communicating with othersRepresent ones internal mental activityLearned through imitation, reinforcement and shapingComplexities of grammar wired into brainGrammarSystem of rules governing structure and use of a languagePhonemesBasic units of sound in a languageHow letters are pronouncedMorphemesSmallest units of meaning with in a languageEx: playing  two morph: play – ingSyntaxSystem of rules for combining words and phrases to form grammatically correct sentencesSemanticsRules for determining the meaning of words and sentencesPragmaticsPractical aspects of communicating with othersHow to take turns