Cognition, Language, & Intelligence: How Do We Think? Thinking: How We Use What We Know Mental representation Two classes of representations Sensory and meaning Best studied Visual Info: Pictures Vs. Words? Propositional Vs. Depictive/Analog Debate Mental rotation Visual images have same spatial properties of real stimulus Image scanning experiment memorize map then mentally scan path from one point to next The Limits of the Mental Picture Conflicting research Mental rotation experiments dont always correlate with properties of stimulus Cant manipulate visual images the way we would an object The Map in Your Mind Cognitive maps Mental representation of visual stimuli relies on both visual images and verbal Constructive Schicke et al (2006) used EEG & fMRI How We Organize What We Know Concepts Store in propositional form Organizing Concepts into Categories Hierarchical Superordinate category Basic level category Subordinate category Conceptual Categories Formal and Natural Categories Formal Natural Fuzzy boundaries Prototypes example of category that closely matches the defining characteristics Categories, Spreading Activation, and Priming Thinking about one of the concepts will PRIME the concepts linked to it (Collins & Loftus, 1975) Problem Solving Well-structured Problems Can solve in two ways Algorithm1
Heuristic
Ill - Structured Problems: The Answer May Be Out There No known algorithm Procedure Trial and error heuristic Culture influences approach chosen May lack insight needed to find solution Creativity: Overcoming Obstacles to Problem Solving Ability to combine mental elements in new and useful ways Novel solutions Divergent thinking ability to generate many ideas quickly in response to single prompt Obstacles to Problem Solvin g Functional fixedness Mental sets Ways to overcome these obstacles Allow an incubation period: Decision - Making: Outcomes and Probabilities Choosing from several alternatives; part of problem solving process Factors influencing outcomes: Perceived outcomes of decision Probabilities of achieving these outcomes Judgments: Estimating the Likelihood of Events Can solve using algorithm Solve using heuristics Availability Heuristic Representativeness Heuristic The Availability Heuristic The more easily we can recall memory for an event, the more frequent we estimate the event to be The Representativeness Heuristic Judging whether or not an object, event, or person belongs in a particular category Make judgments based on concept of category Base - rate Info The actual probability of an event Other errors of Human Cognition Sunk Cost Effect Gamblers Fallacy Confirmation Bias 2
Language: Essential to Thought and Action Much of knowledge represented in memory as words Humans have well-developed, syntactical verbal to represent world How Humans Acquire Language Chomsky language acquisition device (LAD) giving innate knowledge of language syntax; inborn, nature Transformational Grammar- system for converting deep structure into a surface structure Never threaten someone with a chainsaw John is easy to please, pleasing John is easy, it is easy to please John Language Acquisition Eric Lennebergs Critical Period (age 12) Wild Child Genie Post-natal brain growth & plasticity Nature vs. nurture innate or learned? Cooing and Babbling: Baby Steps to Speech Cooing vowel sounds, like Ooo; 2 months Born with narrow vocal cords and hair cells in cochlea that are tuned Babbling consonant sounds in addition to vowel sounds; 4 months 7 months babble native language Cooing and Babbling Parentese- emphasizes the vowels, slow, distinctly, and use simple words Infants < 1 yr lookatheprettybaby Phonemes -Basic sounds of language Morphemes smallest sound with meaning From Mama and Dada to Sentences Understands more than can produce First words are objects Overextension Underextension Telegraphic speech Age 1-6 averages 9 new words a day! Culture & Language Whorfian Hypothesis Research indicates might influence Bonobos: Matata and Kanzi Matata trained to use keyboard to learn language Kanzi, son, acquired language while observing Measuring Intelligence by Abilities and IQ Sir Frances Galton James McKeen Cattell Attempted to replicate on college students 3
Alfred Binet: Cognitive Abilities Intelligence - capacity to find and maintain purpose, adapt and evaluate strategy to reach purpose and adjust, if necessary Quantify intelligence in terms of mental age how childs abilities compared to average child Lewis Terman: IQ & Stanford - Binet American of revision Binet and Simons work Introduced the intelligence quotient/IQ IQ = (MA/CA) X 100 MA = Mental Age CA = Chronological Age Average IQ would be 100 where MA = CA David Wechslers Intelligence Scales Test to measure different mental abilities Compared performance to average persons performance Average ranges from 85 115 David Wechslers Intelligence Scales Three separate Wechsler tests Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (PDPSI) 3-6 years Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Third Edition (WISC-III) 5-15 Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III) over 16 Subtests of the WAIS 14 different subtests, divided into 2 scales Performance IQ Verbal IQ Other test characteristics: Must be administered in a standard way Items increase in difficulty Discontinue rule involves giving a number of incorrect responses in a row Block Design Arrange the 3D blocks so that they look like the 2D pattern. Work as quickly as you can. Timed: Nonverbal reasoning and visual-spatial abilities Object Assem bly Put these puzzle pieces together to make something. Work as quickly as you can. Vocabulary Info Last 3 words understood by < ____ of population Vocab one of the best subtests as it is highly related to your overall intelligence score Bright children acquire vocabulary at a faster rate and have an overall larger vocabulary as an adult. Information Tell me the answers to these questions: 4
Similarities I will read two words, and you tell me how they are alike. Ravens Progressive Matrices
Testing the Test: What Makes a Good Intelligence Test? Reliability Validity Cultural bias Are there real - world consequences? Correlations of IQ with measures SES success: Years of education = 0.50.6 Occupational status level = 0.40.5 Earnings: 0.20.4 (with age trends) (Gottfredson, 2004) The Gravitational Hypothesis Over time, individuals will move or gravitate towards jobs that match their mental ability levels (McCormick, et al, 1979). High IQ individuals are bored by simple jobs and low IQ individuals are frustrated by complex jobs MR Diagnosis/Classification By IQ ~ Impairments in at least 2 areas of functioning: Onset before age 18 4 levels of mental retardation (APA system) Mild MR (IQ: 5070): Moderate/Severe (IQ: 2050): Profound (IQ < 20): MR - Classif ication Between 2 and 2 % of the population of the U.S. is estimated to be mentally retarded, more males than females. GxE: Two - Group Hypothesis Type #1 - Organic Type #2 - Cultural/Familial Mental Giftedness Gifted - 2% of upper end of the normal curve & usually IQ of 130 or above. Terman studies- Characteristics of Termites Followed longitudinally High IQ correlates with good outcomes: Physical/Mental health, SES success, Marital outcomes, Personal/Social I...