Chapter 7: Thinking, Chapter 7: Thinking, Language, and IntelligenceLanguage, and Intelligence
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Thinking and Reasoning
Thinking– The manipulation of
mental representations of information
Mental images– Representations in
the mind in the form of object or event being represented
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Categorizing the World
Concepts– Categorizations of objects,
events, or people that share common properties that enable us to organize complex phenomena into simpler cognitive categories
Prototypes– Typical, highly
representative examples of a concept
What is a tree?
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Reasoning: Making Up Your Mind
Syllogistic reasoning– Formal reasoning in which
people draw a conclusion from a set of assumptions (or premises)
All men are mortal (premise)
Socrates is a man (premise)
Therefore, Socrates is mortal
(conclusion)
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Reasoning: Algorithms and Heuristics
Algorithm– A rule which, if applied
appropriately, guarantees a solution to a problem
Heuristic– A cognitive shortcut that
may lead to a solution Availability heuristic
– Involves judging the probability of an event by how easily the event can be recalled from memory
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Preparation: Understanding and Diagnosing Problems
Novel problems– Time is spent on any
restrictions on the way to the solution
– Time is spent on the initial status of the components
Familiar problems– Require less time at
this stage
2 + 2 = ?
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Kinds of Problems
Arrangement problems– Require that a group of
elements be rearranged or recombined in a way that will satisfy a certain criterion
Problems of inducing structure– Identify the relationships
that exist among the elements presented and construct a new relationship among them
14-24-34-44-54-64-?
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Kinds of Problems
Transformation problem– Consist of an initial state, a goal state, and a series of
methods for changing the initial state into the goal state
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Representing and Organizing the Problem
Our ability to represent the problem and the kind of solution we eventually come to is affected by the way a problem is phrased, or framed
Will it take a person the same amount of time in order to climb up 8 stories as it does to climb down 8 stories?
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Production: Generating Solutions
Trial and Error– Most primitive means
of seeking a solution
Means-end analysis– Repeated testing for
differences between the desired outcome and what currently exists
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Production: Generating Solutions
Subgoals– Dividing a problem into
intermediate steps, and solving each of those steps
Insight– A sudden awareness of
the relationships among various elements that had previously appeared to be unrelated to one another
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Impediments to Solutions
Functional fixedness– The tendency to think of an
object only in terms of its typical use
Mental set– The tendency for old
patterns of problem solving to persist
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Impediments to Solutions
Inaccurate evaluation of solutions
Confirmation bias– Initial hypotheses are
favored and contradictory information supporting alternative hypothesis or solutions is ignored
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Creativity and Problem Solving
Creativity– The combining of
responses or ideas in novel ways
Divergent thinking– The ability to generate
unusual, yet nonetheless appropriate, responses to problems or questions
Convergent thinking– Responses that are
based primarily on knowledge and logic
Cognitive complexity– The preference for
elaborate, intricate, and complex stimuli and thinking patterns
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Language
The communication of information through symbols arranged according to systematic rules
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Grammar: Language’s Language
Grammar– The system of rules that
determine how our thoughts can be expressed
Phonology– The study of the smallest
basic sound units, called phonemes that effect the meaning of speech
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Grammar: Language’s Language
Syntax– The rules that indicate
how words and phrases can be combined to form sentences
Semantics– The rules governing the
meaning of words and sentences
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Language Development
Babble– Speechlike but
meaningless sounds made by children from the ages of around 3 months through 1 year
Critical period– Time period where child
is particularly sensitive to language cues and where language is most easily acquired
Telegraphic speech– Sentences
that sound as if they were part of a telegram, in which words not critical to the message are left out
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Language Development
Overgeneralization– The phenomenon where
children apply rules even when the application results in an error, e.g. “he runned”
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Understanding Language Acquisition
Language-acquisition device– Neural system that
permits the understanding of language
– Universal grammar• All the world’s
languages share a similar underlying structure
Learning-theory approach– Language acquisition
follows the principles of reinforcement and conditioning
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Understanding Language Acquisition
Whole language approach– the use of whole and meaningful materials
Basic skills approach– emphasizes the recognition of words in
isolation
A combination of the whole language and basic skills
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The Influence of Language on Thinking
Linguistic-relativity hypothesis– The notion that language
shapes and, in fact, may determine the way people of a particular culture perceive and understand the world
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Defining Intelligent behaviour
Intelligence– The capacity to understand
the world, think rationally, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges
Intelligence tests– Tests that are developed in
order to identify a person’s level of intelligence
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Measuring Intelligence
Mental age– The average age of individuals who achieve a
particular level of performance on a test Chronological age
– Physical age
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Measuring Intelligence
IQ =MACA
X 100
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IQ Tests: Gauging Intelligence
Stanford-Binet IV Wechsler Adult Intelligence
Scale – III (WAIS-III) Wechsler Intelligence Scale
for Children - III (WISC-III)
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Achievement and Aptitude Tests
Achievement test– A test designed to
determine a person’s level of knowledge in a given subject area
Aptitude test– A test designed to predict a
person’s ability in a particular area or line of work
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Reliability and Validity: Taking the Measure of a Test
Reliability– A tests ability to consistently
measure what they are trying to measure
Validity– The tests ability to measure
what it is supposed to measure
Norms– Standards of test
performance
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Intelligence
G or G-factor– Early theory that proposed a
single, general factor underlying every aspect of intelligence
Fluid intelligence– Reflects information
processing capabilities, reasoning, and memory
Crystallized intelligence– Accumulation of information,
skills, and strategies that people have learned through experience
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Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Musical
Bodily Kinesthetic
Logical-mathematical
Linguistic
Spatial
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
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Information Processing Intelligence?
Cognitive psychologists believe intelligence is indicated by how information is processed:
– The processes used to produce intelligent behaviour
• Encoding, identifying parts of problems, etc
– The speed of processing
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Intelligence
Practical intelligence– Intelligence related to overall
success in living
Emotional intelligence– Set of skills that underlie the
accurate assessment, evaluation, expression, and regulation of emotions
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Variations in Intellectual Ability
Mental retardation (now called intellectual disability or developmental disability in Canada)– Significantly below-average
intellectual functioning, plus limitations in at least two areas of adaptive functioning involving
– Communication skills
– Self-care
– Ability to live independently
– Social skills
– Community involvement
– Self direction
– Health & safety
– Academics
– Leisure & work
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Identifying Roots of Mental Retardation
Biological causes– Down syndrome
Familial retardation Care and treatment
– Least restrictive environment
– Mainstreaming
– Full inclusion
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Intellectually Gifted
2 to 4 % of the population have IQ scores greater than 130
Stereotypes
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Individual Differences in Intelligence
Culture-fair IQ test– A test that does not
discriminate against members of any minority group
Heritability– A measure of the degree to
which a characteristic is related to genetic, inherited factors
– IQs are increasing
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