\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\) Show
7.1: What Is Cognition?Simply put, cognition is thinking, and it encompasses the processes associated with perception, knowledge, problem solving, judgment, language, and memory. Scientists who study cognition are searching for ways to understand how we integrate, organize, and utilize our conscious cognitive experiences without being aware of all of the unconscious work that our brains are doing. Review QuestionsQ1Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that focuses on the study of ________.
Q2Which of the following is an example of a prototype for the concept of leadership on an athletic team?
Q3Which of the following is an example of an artificial concept?
Q4An event schema is also known as a cognitive ________.
Critical Thinking QuestionsQ5Describe an event schema that you would notice at a sporting event. Q6Explain why event schemata have so much power over human behavior. Personal Application QuestionQ7Describe a natural concept that you know fully but that would be difficult for someone else to understand and explain why it would be difficult. SolutionS1B S2B S3B S4C S5Answers will vary. When attending a basketball game, it is typical to support your team by wearing the team colors and sitting behind their bench. S6Event schemata are rooted in the social fabric of our communities. We expect people to behave in certain ways in certain types of situations, and we hold ourselves to the same social standards. It is uncomfortable to go against an event schema—it feels almost like we are breaking the rules. 7.2: LanguageLanguage is a communication system that involves using words and systematic rules to organize those words to transmit information from one individual to another. While language is a form of communication, not all communication is language. Many species communicate with one another through their postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations. This communication is crucial for species that need to interact and develop social relationships with their conspecifics. Review QuestionsQ1________ provides general principles for organizing words into meaningful sentences.
Q2________ are the smallest unit of language that carry meaning.
Q3The meaning of words and phrases is determined by applying the rules of ________.
Q4________ is (are) the basic sound units of a spoken language.
Critical Thinking QuestionsQ5How do words not only represent our thoughts but also represent our values? Q6How could grammatical errors actually be indicative of language acquisition in children? Q7How do words not only represent our thoughts but also represent our values? Personal Application QuestionQ8Can you think of examples of how language affects cognition? SolutionS1D S2C S3D S4B S5People tend to talk about the things that are important to them or the things they think about the most. What we talk about, therefore, is a reflection of our values. S6People tend to talk about the things that are important to them or the things they think about the most. What we talk about, therefore, is a reflection of our values. S7 Grammatical errors that involve overgeneralization of specific rules of a given language indicate that the child recognizes the rule, even if he or she doesn’t recognize all of the subtleties or exceptions involved in the rule’s application. 7.3: Problem SolvingWhen you are presented with a problem—whether it is a complex mathematical problem or a broken printer, how do you solve it? Before finding a solution to the problem, the problem must first be clearly identified. After that, one of many problem solving strategies can be applied, hopefully resulting in a solution. A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. Different strategies have different action plans associated with them. For example, a well-known strategy is tri Review QuestionsQ1A specific formula for solving a problem is called ________.
Q2A mental shortcut in the form of a general problem-solving framework is called ________.
Q3Which type of bias involves becoming fixated on a single trait of a problem?
Q4Which type of bias involves relying on a false stereotype to make a decision?
Critical Thinking QuestionsQ5What is functional fixedness and how can overcoming it help you solve problems? Q6How does an algorithm save you time and energy when solving a problem? Personal Application QuestionQ7Which type of bias do you recognize in your own decision making processes? How has this bias affected how you’ve made decisions in the past and how can you use your awareness of it to improve your decisions making skills in the future? SolutionS1A S2B S3A S4C S5Functional fixedness occurs when you cannot see a use for an object other than the use for which it was intended. For example, if you need something to hold up a tarp in the rain, but only have a pitchfork, you must overcome your expectation that a pitchfork can only be used for garden chores before you realize that you could stick it in the ground and drape the tarp on top of it to hold it up. S6An algorithm is a proven formula for achieving a desired outcome. It saves time because if you follow it exactly, you will solve the problem without having to figure out how to solve the problem. It is a bit like not reinventing the wheel. 7.4: What Are Intelligence and Creativity?What exactly is intelligence? The way that researchers have defined the concept of intelligence has been modified many times since the birth of psychology. British psychologist Charles Spearman believed intelligence consisted of one general factor, called g, which could be measured and compared among individuals. Spearman focused on the commonalities among various intellectual abilities and demphasized what made each unique.. Review QuestionsQ1Fluid intelligence is characterized by ________.
Q2Which of the following is not one of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences?
Q3Which theorist put forth the triarchic theory of intelligence?
Q4When you are examining data to look for trends, which type of intelligence are you using most?
Critical Thinking QuestionsQ5Describe a situation in which you would need to use practical intelligence. Q6Describe a situation in which cultural intelligence would help you communicate better. Personal Application QuestionQ7What influence do you think emotional intelligence plays in your personal life? SolutionS1D S2A S3C S4B S5You are out with friends and it is getting late. You need to make it home before your curfew, but you don’t have a ride home. You need to get in touch with your parents, but your cell phone is dead. So, you enter a nearby convenience store and explain your situation to the clerk. He allows you to use the store’s phone to call your parents, and they come and pick you and your friends up, and take all of you home. S6You are visiting Madrid, Spain, on a language immersion trip. Your Spanish is okay, but you still not sure about some of the facial expressions and body language of the native speakers. When faced with a sticky social situation, you do not engage immediately as you might back home. Instead, you hold back and observe what others are doing before reacting. 7.5: Measures of IntelligenceWhile you’re likely familiar with the term “IQ” and associate it with the idea of intelligence, what does IQ really mean? IQ stands for intelligence quotient and describes a score earned on a test designed to measure intelligence. You’ve already learned that there are many ways psychologists describe intelligence (or more aptly, intelligences). Similarly, IQ tests—the tools designed to measure intelligence—have been the subject of debate throughout their development and use. Review QuestionsQ1In order for a test to be normed and standardized it must be tested on ________.
Q2The mean score for a person with an average IQ is ________.
Q3Who developed the IQ test most widely used today?
Q4The DSM-5 now uses ________ as a diagnostic label for what was once referred to as mental retardation.
Critical Thinking QuestionsQ5Why do you think different theorists have defined intelligence in different ways? Q6Compare and contrast the benefits of the Stanford-Binet IQ test and Wechsler’s IQ tests. Personal Application QuestionQ7In thinking about the case of Candace described earlier, do you think that Candace benefitted or suffered as a result of consistently being passed on to the next grade? SolutionS1B S2D S3D S4C S5Since cognitive processes are complex, ascertaining them in a measurable way is challenging. Researchers have taken different approaches to define intelligence in an attempt to comprehensively describe and measure it. S6The Wechsler-Bellevue IQ test combined a series of subtests that tested verbal and nonverbal skills into a single IQ test in order to get a reliable, descriptive score of intelligence. While the Stanford-Binet test was normed and standardized, it focused more on verbal skills than variations in other cognitive processes. 7.6: The Source of IntelligenceWhere does high intelligence come from? Some researchers believe that intelligence is a trait inherited from a person’s parents. Scientists who research this topic typically use twin studies to determine the heritability of intelligence. Review QuestionsQ1Where does high intelligence come from?
Q2Arthur Jensen believed that ________.
Q3What is a learning disability?
Q4Which of the following statements is true?
Critical Thinking QuestionsQ5What evidence exists for a genetic component to an individual’s IQ? Q6Describe the relationship between learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities to intelligence. Personal Application QuestionQ7Do you believe your level of intelligence was improved because of the stimuli in your childhood environment? Why or why not? S1C S2A S3B S4D S5Twin studies are one strong indication that IQ has a genetic component. Another indication is anecdotal evidence in the form of stories about highly intelligent individuals who come from difficult backgrounds yet still become highly successful adults. S6Learning disabilities are specific neurological problems within the brain and are separate from intelligence. Intellectual disabilities are pervasive and related to intelligence. Contributor
7.E: Thinking and Intelligence (Exercises) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts. Which type of obstacle to problem solving involves relying on a false stereotype to make a decision *?Definition of the Representativeness Heuristic
The representativeness heuristic is an automatic mental shortcut we use to make assumptions through stereotyping. We rely on it when we need to make decisions about unfamiliar things or people.
What is functional Fixedness and how can overcoming it help you solve problems?Functional fixedness is kind of a mental shortcut that helps you reduce how much you have to think in order to accomplish certain tasks. But functional fixedness can also make you less creative and more fixated on proven solutions rather than thinking about other, possibly more creative or useful solutions.
Which of the following is an example of a prototype for the concept of leadership on the athletic team?The team captain would be considered the prototype for leadership on a team.
Which problem solving strategy is characterized by a specific set of instructions?Glossary. algorithm problem-solving strategy characterized by a specific set of instructions.. anchoring bias faulty heuristic in which you fixate on a single aspect of a problem to find a solution.. availability heuristic faulty heuristic in which you make a decision based on information readily available to you.. |
