Cognition, Language and IntelligenceCognition – mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, retrieving and using information* One of the most important intelligences we have is the knowledge of yourself--- this allows us to make ourselves the objects of thought and reasoning* you have to have some sort of awareness of yourself to live in an arboreal habitat Tests for Sense of Self:- mirror test: place dot on objects forehead and have them look in mirroro if they remove the dot from their own face, they have sense of selfo if you try to get dot off of object in mirror, they don’t have a sense of selfyou cannot have consciousness of others until you have a conscious of selfecological dominance – self-awarenesssocial dominance – awareness of others** theory of mind – understanding what oter people are thinking/reacting to--- predicting the mental states that are different from our own, current mental stateTesting for Theory of MindSally-Anne Test --- sally puts marble in basket & leaves, Anne moves marble to box; sally comes back, where does she look for the marble?Theory of Mind – says Sally looks in basket No Theory of Mind – sally looks in boxTheory of Mind is needed for:  Intentional communication with others Repairing failed communication with others Teaching others Intentionally persuading others Intentionally deceiving others Building shared plans/goals Intentionally sharing a focus or topic of attention Pretending HumorMemes – unit of culture that can be replicated/passed on over time- requires Theory of Mind (to establish what people will be into or not)Language – a means of communicating thoughts and feelings, using a system of socially shared, but arbitrary symbols ** must be socially sharedChimpanzees have been taught to communicate using sign language and symbolsKanzi – sat in on a female chimp’s sessions (not being taught) and he learned lexacons; he only understood symbols, not concept of in or onAlex – a parrot who can answer questions about colors/objects/shapes and can count; he understands what is being said and doneHumans learn languages easier, if they’re learned earlier in lifeCritical window: up to age 7Advantages: better metalinguistic skills (identify rules about a language, even if its unknown)Disadvantages: decreased efficiency in word memory tasks, but they develop better ways to compensate for itEarly second language learning: reach a higher level of efficiency; are able to speak with appropriate accent** No age limitSign language ---- often used before language develops – children are more likely to learn another language of they use sign language earlyIntelligence – ability to understand complex ideas, adapt effectively in environment, learn from experience and engage in forms of reasoning, and overcome obstacles through mental effortSpearman (general ability, g, that underlies intellectual functions)You either have a high intelligence or a low intelligence-- people who are bright in one area, are bright in othersThurstone (primary mental ablates)You can be good at one thing and not everything elsePeople can play with their strengths/weaknesses7 primary mental abilities1. verbal comprehension2. numerical ability3. spatial relations4. perceptual speed5. word fluency6. memory7. reasoningGardner Eight Frames of Minds1. Linguistic intelligence – ability to use language as aid in thinking and in communications2. Logical-mathematical intelligence – ability to think logically and solve mathematical problems3. Spatial intelligence – ability to images that represent spatial relations4. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence - ability to learn physical movements5. Musical intelligence – sensitivity to and understanding pitch, rhythm and other aspects of music6. Interpersonal intelligence – ability to communicate and engage on effective social relationships with others7. Intrapersonal intelligence – ability to understand ones self8. Naturalistic intelligence - Ability to identify patterns in nature and determine how individuals objects or beings fit into them Sternberg Triarchic Theory of Intelligence Componential Intelligence – analytical intelligenceExperiential intelligence – creative thinkingContextual intelligence – common sense*** ALL AGREE THAT HOWEVER YOU TEST IT, YOU TEST THERE IS SOME SORT OF REAL WORLD INTELLIGENCEBOOK SMART VS STREET SMARTWays to test intelligence Achievement test – measure what a person has learned up to a certain point in lifeAptitude test – predicts how well you would do in a certain environment/workplaceIntelligence test – measure how smart you are as an individualReliability of tests – if its not consistent, its not reliableValidity – whatever you say you’re testing for, the questions must reflect itStandardization – you want individuals who take the test to have something to compare it to** administering tests using prescribe procedure in testing setting is important Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale Used “Mental Age” scoreIdentified what is normal for a school aged child: if you were 2 yrs above, you were genius; if you were two years below, you’re mentally retardedStandford-Binet Intelligence Scale Established norms (age-based averages) based on a large number of children testedDavid Wechsler developed first test that measured adult intelligence (WAIS)developed a nonverbal/verbal test for children (WISC)*Whatever population average is, is set at 100%. If you score 105%, you are 5% smarter than the population- People with higher IQ: have better health, earn more degrees, achieve higher occupational status, are better adjusted personally and socially, are healthierScarr & Weinburg adoption study – looked at kids from low socioeconomic groups that were adopted into upperclass, white families: IQ was 106, compared to those who stayed ina lower class environment ---- proved that IQ is not all genetics, but has an environmental aspect too Racial Differences:IQ tests were developed by white Americans. It was shown that African Americans would score lower, suggesting that they were dumberRamsey said differences result from poverty and lack of educational opportunitiesCulture-fair IQ test – you don’t need any sort of verbal communication skillsStereotype threat – anxiety causes them to do poorly --- because they know everyone is already looking down on them and they are forced to try to prove them wrongTests showed that Males did