PSYC 100: Final Review
Thought & Language 2
Human development 14
Practice questions 19
1
,Thought & Language
1) The Elements of Cognition
Cognition? = Mental Activity
-> Obtaining, converting, and using knowledge
Thinking: a type of cognition - mentally manipulating internal representations of objects,
activities
- Making a decision
- Finding a solution
- Forming a belief
- Developing an attitude
Cognitive activity mental images:
+ Mental images: mental (internal) representations
+ Visual (3D, rotating): picturing it
+ Auditory: hearing it
+ Kinesthetics: feeling it
How to use mental imagery?
Remembering information: alphabet song
Making decisions: what music to play during dinner
Solving problems: assembling furniture from IKEA
Planning: visualizing a route to drive
Developing skills: imaging yourself in the perfect yoga pose or throwing a curve
ball.
What happens in the brain?
Brain is activated like it would be for sensation of image
-> Activated by memory and perception brain areas, not by sensory input
2
, through the eyes
The concept:
Examples: things that fit or that don’t fit the concept
+ igloo, pineapple, townhouse, kangaroo, houseboat, mansion, phone booth,
adobe, cabin
Rules: guideline or definition of the concept
+ What defines a house?
Prototypes: best models
+ can be used to help categorize or identify other members of the concept
+ “single family home”
Concept Typicality:
Some members of categories are “better” than others! These are Typical category
members.
What is a typical example of a musical instrument?
A atypical musical instrument?
—> People tend to think of typical category members before atypical members.
—-> Typical category members tend to be learned sooner! And providing typical
category members as examples can help in learning further members of the category
Levels of Categorization
Category hierarchies: provide a way to organize categories.
Basic categories: convey an ideal amount of information for communication in
most situations (eg.car)
+ Can be more abstract or superordinate (eg. Vehicle)
3
Thought & Language 2
Human development 14
Practice questions 19
1
,Thought & Language
1) The Elements of Cognition
Cognition? = Mental Activity
-> Obtaining, converting, and using knowledge
Thinking: a type of cognition - mentally manipulating internal representations of objects,
activities
- Making a decision
- Finding a solution
- Forming a belief
- Developing an attitude
Cognitive activity mental images:
+ Mental images: mental (internal) representations
+ Visual (3D, rotating): picturing it
+ Auditory: hearing it
+ Kinesthetics: feeling it
How to use mental imagery?
Remembering information: alphabet song
Making decisions: what music to play during dinner
Solving problems: assembling furniture from IKEA
Planning: visualizing a route to drive
Developing skills: imaging yourself in the perfect yoga pose or throwing a curve
ball.
What happens in the brain?
Brain is activated like it would be for sensation of image
-> Activated by memory and perception brain areas, not by sensory input
2
, through the eyes
The concept:
Examples: things that fit or that don’t fit the concept
+ igloo, pineapple, townhouse, kangaroo, houseboat, mansion, phone booth,
adobe, cabin
Rules: guideline or definition of the concept
+ What defines a house?
Prototypes: best models
+ can be used to help categorize or identify other members of the concept
+ “single family home”
Concept Typicality:
Some members of categories are “better” than others! These are Typical category
members.
What is a typical example of a musical instrument?
A atypical musical instrument?
—> People tend to think of typical category members before atypical members.
—-> Typical category members tend to be learned sooner! And providing typical
category members as examples can help in learning further members of the category
Levels of Categorization
Category hierarchies: provide a way to organize categories.
Basic categories: convey an ideal amount of information for communication in
most situations (eg.car)
+ Can be more abstract or superordinate (eg. Vehicle)
3
