Modules 1:4
Lecture 1 Introduction
Describe the basic principles of thinking, reasoning, and language
Thinking is any mental activity or processing of information, including
learning, remembering, perceiving, communicating, believing, and deciding.
Brains have cognitive economy the ability to use as little effort/energy
as possible to complete a process of any sort
Judgements are made quickly and done with little observation
Stereotypes also use cognitive economy
o Heuristics
o Algorithms
In the West we are believed to think with our heads, in other parts of the
world, thinking is done with the heart (Greeks)
Some consider thinking and thoughts to come from the gut (Romans)
o In the past, it was misunderstood that the brain wasn’t a useful
body part
o No one really understood what the brain did
Emotions can be seen/viewed as a dashboard with indicators, helping
to differentiate and decide what to do through feedback
o Greeks and Romans were unaware of the cognitive processes
that occur before the sensations are felt in the heart or in the gut
The Greek beliefs about body, medicine, and autonomy
were mostly correct
Unconscious processes are coordinated by the prefrontal cortex,
medulla, the pons, etc., what’s considered “reptilian brain”
o Limbic brainstem area that controls our senses including body
orientation, time, breathing, heartbeat, and other autonomic
functions.
Frontal cortex the most recent edition and is where we get
attentional function/executive decision making
Sensory/motor movement comes from the area of the brain between
the parietal and occipital lobe
o Our sense of direction (body) comes from our vestibular senses
(think tranquilizers)
The spine controls reflexes
o When you burn your hand, the short delay in feeling the
pain/sensation of injury is the spine attempting to save the body
Lecture 1 Introduction
Describe the basic principles of thinking, reasoning, and language
Thinking is any mental activity or processing of information, including
learning, remembering, perceiving, communicating, believing, and deciding.
Brains have cognitive economy the ability to use as little effort/energy
as possible to complete a process of any sort
Judgements are made quickly and done with little observation
Stereotypes also use cognitive economy
o Heuristics
o Algorithms
In the West we are believed to think with our heads, in other parts of the
world, thinking is done with the heart (Greeks)
Some consider thinking and thoughts to come from the gut (Romans)
o In the past, it was misunderstood that the brain wasn’t a useful
body part
o No one really understood what the brain did
Emotions can be seen/viewed as a dashboard with indicators, helping
to differentiate and decide what to do through feedback
o Greeks and Romans were unaware of the cognitive processes
that occur before the sensations are felt in the heart or in the gut
The Greek beliefs about body, medicine, and autonomy
were mostly correct
Unconscious processes are coordinated by the prefrontal cortex,
medulla, the pons, etc., what’s considered “reptilian brain”
o Limbic brainstem area that controls our senses including body
orientation, time, breathing, heartbeat, and other autonomic
functions.
Frontal cortex the most recent edition and is where we get
attentional function/executive decision making
Sensory/motor movement comes from the area of the brain between
the parietal and occipital lobe
o Our sense of direction (body) comes from our vestibular senses
(think tranquilizers)
The spine controls reflexes
o When you burn your hand, the short delay in feeling the
pain/sensation of injury is the spine attempting to save the body
