psych chapter 7

study of higher mental processes: language, thinking, judging, reasoning, problem solving, decision making

• mental images-representations in the mind that resemble the object or event being represented
• athletes use mental imagery to focus on a task, a process they call “getting in the zone”

typical, highly representative examples of a concept. (ex. thinking of iPad as an example of a digital tablet

Cognitive shortcut, may lead to solution(or not not)

Past Experience w/ event expect the same to happen or use same approach

Decision for object/event based on average member of class

groups of elements must be rearranged/ recombined to get result

identify relationships that exist among the elements construct new relationship among them

consists of initial state, good state, series of steps to change initial state into goal

Repeated testing to see if means(method) leads to desired outcome

Dividing problem into intermediate steps; solving each step

sudden awareness of solutions

think of object only in typical use (ex. plate only for food)

initial hypotheses, favored; later get contradictory into, yet alternative solutions ignored

• Divergent: The ability to generate unusual response to a question
• Convergent: The ability to produce responses that are based on knowledge and logic

• most basic sound in a language
• affect the meaning of speech

• Syntax- rules for combining words and phrases to form sentences (sentence structure)
• Semantics- rules for meaning of words in sentences phrases

• few words to communicate meaning of a sentence(telegram)
• Overgeneralizations- apply rules even when applied in error e.g “he runned”

• 1st step; language development
• Speech-like, meaningless sounds(3 months- 1 year)
• Hearing impaired-babble w/ hands

• theory that language learning is depending on modeling and reinforcement
• (mama say hi baby says hi)

theory that languange learning is depending on genetics

• theory that language learning is a combination of nativist theory(genetics)
• and learning theory (reinforcement)

all world's languages have similar underlying structure

Neural system of the brain, permits people to learn & understand language

Time period- child very sensitive to language cues when language easily acquired

intelligence-capacity to understand, think rationally, use resources effectively

• fluid- info processing capabilities, reasoning, memory
• crystallized- accumulation of info, skills, strategies-learned from experience; used in problem solving and challenges

skills in using the whole body or various portions of it in the solution of problems or in the construction of products or displays, exemplified by dancers, athletes, actors, and surgeons

skills in tasks involving music

skills involved in the production and use of language

skills in problem solving and scientific thinking

skills involving spatial configurations, such as those used by artists and architects

skills in interacting with others, such as sensitivity to the moods, temperaments, motivations, and intentions of others

knowledge of the internal aspects of oneself; access to one’s own feelings and emotions

ability to identify and classify patterns in nature

• Sternberg’s practical Intelligence: Career & living success
• Emotional Intelligence :Insight into other’s feelings

• (Mental Age/Physical Age) x 100
• average IQ is 120

• achievement test- determine level of knowledge in subject area (trained area)
• aptitude test- test to predict a person’s ability in a particular area (work); sub-achievement tests

• reliability- test consistently measures what it’s trying to measure (scores)
• validity- test’s ability to measure what it’s supposed to measure

Standards of a test that compares one test score to another score

• 1/3 of cases are related to biological or environmental factors
• Fetal alcohol syndrome: most common cause of mental retardation in newborns occurring when the mother uses alcohol during pregnancy

• 2% to 4%
• IQ 130+
• Most often outgoing, well adjusted, healthy, popular people who are better than the average person

A measure of the degree to which a  characteristic is related to genetic, inherited factors.