PSY10004 Lecture 7: Psychology 101 PSY10004 - WEEK 7

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PSYCH 101 - PSYCHOLOGY
WEEK 7
THINKING
Cognition is defined as the mental processes by which the information humans receive from their
environment is modified, made meaningful, stored, retrieved, used and communicated to others.!
Mental Representations!
Concepts !
Propositions !
Schemas !
Scripts !
Mental Models !
Images !
Cognitive Maps!
CONCEPTS & CATEGORIES
Most things need to be categorised to be thought about !
Category: entities grouped by common properties !
Concept: mental representation of a category!
Formal concepts
Formal concepts are defined by rules that include/exclude objects !
Defining features or necessary qualities for category membership !
-“drinks” must be fluid and nutritious (at least nontoxic) !
Concepts are welldefined if they can be unambiguously described !
-e.g. “square” is a closed geometric figure, with 4 straight sides!
Natural concepts
Don’t have an unambiguous set of necessary features !
-Somewhat idiosyncratic, e.g., home !
Fuzzy boundaries (graded) !
-Sports vs games !
Prototype !
-Exemplar of category, having most of the typical features !
-Representation abstracted form multiple instances!
PROTOTYPES
Prototypes are abstractions from many observations !
-Based on similarity !
-Often visual? !
-Evidenced in RTs !
Is a penguin a bird? —> SLOW
Is a parrot a bird? —> FAST
PROPOSITIONS
Expressions a relationship between concepts !
Can be expressed in a sentence, but is more abstract than that !
-Ben —> Likes —> Chocolate !
SCHEMAS, SCRIPTS, MODELS
Schemas: Generalisations about categories (objects, places, events) !
-Render world predictable, reasoning with incomplete information!
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Scripts: A type of schema that involves sequences !
-e.g., dining out, visit the doctor !
Mental Models: Specific situations or arrangements!
IMAGES & COGNITIVE MAPS
Mental rotation !
-Participants shown a (rotated) stimulus !
-Decide if it is normal or a mirror image !
-RT is function of angle of rotation !
-Conclude people actually perform a mental rotation !
-PET studies show visual areas active in these tasks — “like seeing” !
Scanning of maps!
History of Thinking!
Treatises on how to think: BC to present day !
Cultural beliefs about the relationship between cognition and emotion – “Head vs Heart” !
Wundt and James – Introspection on mental processes !
20 C study of thinking – “Discovery”$$that people aren’t rational! !
-(Excessive) focus on failings of human reasoning !
21 C – cognitive misers, adaptive value of less than perfect thinking; multiple thinking systems!
Reasoning
Reasoning is defined as the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way.!
Normative Vs Descriptive!
System 1 & 2 Thinking!
System 1 produces the fast, intuitive reactions and instantaneous decisions that govern most of
our lives. !
System 2 is the deliberate type of thinking involved in focus, deliberation, reasoning or analysis –
such as calculating a complex math problem, exercising self-control, or performing a demanding
physical task!
Formal Reasoning!
Formal reasoning is concerned only with the forms of arguments. Certain forms of arguments
have been identified which are valid. In other words, if the original statements (or premises) in
those arguments are true, then the conclusions must necessarily be true also.!
DEDUCTIVE REASONING
Deductive reasoning draws conclusion from a set of assumptions or propositions !
General to particular !
Syllogisms: 2 premises and a conclusion !
Follow logical rules – Conclusions are certain, if assumptions are correct – Nonsense syllogism!
Premise One: All psychology lecturers are human
Premise Two: Ben is a psychology lecturer
Conclusion: Ben is human !
INDUCTIVE REASONING
Inductive reasoning is reasoning in which the$premises$are viewed as supplying strong evidence
for the truth of the conclusion. While the conclusion of a deductive argument is certain, the truth
of the conclusion of an inductive argument may be$probable, based upon the evidence given.!
To infer or induce laws, principles and patterns from observations !
-From particular —> to general !
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Document Summary

Cognition is de ned as the mental processes by which the information humans receive from their environment is modi ed, made meaningful, stored, retrieved, used and communicated to others. Mental representations: concepts, propositions, schemas, scripts, mental models, images, cognitive maps. Most things need to be categorised to be thought about. Formal concepts are de ned by rules that include/exclude objects: de ning features or necessary qualities for category membership. Drinks must be uid and nutritious (at least non toxic) Concepts are well de ned if they can be unambiguously described. E. g. square is a closed geometric gure, with 4 straight sides. Natural concepts: don"t have an unambiguous set of necessary features, fuzzy boundaries (graded, prototype. Exemplar of category, having most of the typical features. Expressions a relationship between concepts: can be expressed in a sentence, but is more abstract than that. Schemas, scripts, models: schemas: generalisations about categories (objects, places, events) Render world predictable, reasoning with incomplete information.

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