Semantic Memory Semantic Memory Includes general knowledge language knowledge and conceptual knowledge It allows us to organize objects according to concepts and make inferences Prototype Theory Decide whether an item belongs to a category by comparing that with a prototype the item that is most typical and representative of the category 1 Prototypes are supplied as examples of a category 2 Prototypes are judged more quickly than nonprototypes after semantic priming 3 Prototypes share attributes in a family resemblance category Levels of categorization Super ordinate level mammal Basic level dog Subordinate level collie Schemas Generalized knowledge about a situation an event or a person Help explain how people process complex situations and events Network Models of Semantic Memory Propose a netlike organization of concepts in memory Many interconnections Meaning of a concept depends on the concepts to which it is connected Basic Level Categories Used to identify objects in their general context Easiest to come to mind Ex dog Constructivism People integrate information from individual sentences in order to construct larger ideas later they cannot untangle the constructed information from the verbatim sentences It is a constructive process when we recall info We reconstruct from different features that come together to form a memory Embodied Cognition What are amodal theories of cognition Traditional notions of how knowledge is represented in the mind Symbolic o Sensory motor information transformed into amodal symbolic representation o Mental operations are then undertaken on these amodal representations o When interacting with a person amodal symbols redescribe the experienced perceptions actions and introspections to establish a conceptual representation of the interaction in long term memory o As our knowledge of such interactions grows the underlying amodal systems become organized into structures that represents concepts extracted from experience o Amodal redescriptions of social experience constitute social knowledge What is the Chinese room argument Being able to identify differences in symbols does not give meaning to the symbols You can t learn Chinese just by symbol manipulation It lacks understanding and intelligence What is embodied cognition EC States arise in sensory motor systems during contact with the physical world These sensory motor states are stored in memory to some extent Stored perceptual states later support higher cognitive processes Cognition is grounded through simulation What role does the body play in EC Embodied cognition theories focus on the body as being central to shaping the mind Our body is how we make sense of things What role does the environment play in EC States arise in sensory motor systems during contact with the physical world The environment activates sensory motors What are affordances There has to be an agent that exists in an environment that has needs and objects that have utility for that agent What is the action compatibility effect People are mentally simulating the action in the sentence in order to comprehend the sentence Language understanding is grounded in bodily action The body influences cognition What does EC say about language comprehension When we read we don t just activate symbols We use our body to understand the meaning It activates sensory motor activation What do metaphors have to do with language comprehension according to Lakoff and Johnson Metaphors help the sensory motor system from the basis of the representation of the abstract concept We understand abstract concepts through metaphors It gives meaning to the world What role does metaphor play in understanding abstract concepts such as freedom Abstract concepts are understood in the context of concrete experiences The sensory motor system forms the basis of the representation of the abstract concept Language What is Chomsky s theory of language o Language abilities can be explained in terms of a complex system of rules and principles represented in the minds of language users o Humans have an innate understanding of the abstract principles of language o Language learning involves the more superficial characteristics of a particular language o Language is modular o Surface structure actual words o Deep structure meaning we derive from words o Transformational rules convert deep structure to surface structure to communicate o Ambiguous sentences different deep structure for surface structure What is the good enough approach to language comprehension People frequently process only part of a sentence People usually do not work hard to create the most accurate detailed interpretation of every sentence they read or hear People read quickly and they try to grasp the general meaning of a sentence Knowledge of language typically leads to an accurate interpretation It can lead to errors in language comprehension What is the function of Broca s and Wernicke s areas in the brain Broca s expressive language deficit it is involved with language comprehension Wenicke s receptive language deficit it is involved with language production as well as language comprehension What is the whole word approach to learning how to read Readers can directly connect the written word as an entire unity with the meaning that this word represents Argues that children should not learn to emphasize the way a sound words Emphasizes context within a sentence What is discourse processing What are inferences Interrelated language units larger than a sentence How we link characters and stories We integrate current information with all the relevant information from previous parts of the text as well as background knowledge We form current knowledge from prior knowledge Evolutionary Psychology What are the key goals of EP Explaining how the mind works and why we have the abilities that we do It is the combination of cognitive psychology and evolutionary biology What are the main claims of EP That the mind is modelure We evolved Modules are specialized for particular functions What role does heredity and mutation play in the brain Modules form to solve a specific problem Through random mutations What is the theory of modularity We specific parts of the brain that do specific things Mutations over long periods of time How do modules evolve according to EP Adaptations result of natural selection and the environment Every adaptation is designed to solve an adaptive problem What is the predator
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