3 - Cognition

Question 1

Information Processing Model

Answer 1

• brain like computer
• great for AI but not great to model human brain

1) Thinking needs stimuli to be sensed, encoded, and stored
2) Analyze stimuli w/ brain to help with decision-making
3) situational modification- adjust decisions of one situation to new situation
4) problem solving based on person’s cognition + problem complicatedness and context

Question 2

Cognitive development

Answer 2

• how people learn how to think
• PIAGET

Schema- way of thinking about idea; mental image/idea/list you get when you think about a word/a thing; mental building blocks

• organized patterns of behaviors/thoughts
• new info placed/integrate into dif schemata
• Adaptation = process new info or process info in new ways
  ex) assimilation - info into schema you already have
  ex) accommodation - refine schema

-young children learn fast; constant changing schemata

Question 3

Piaget’s stages

Answer 3

-COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete Operational
Formal Operational

Question 4

Sensorimotor

Answer 4

Sensorimotor - infancy: 0-2 y/o
-I can move and interact w/ environment
-Circular reactions (repetitive): primary: accidentally put hand in mouth, realized sucking thumb reduces anxiety, so next time I’m anxious, I’ll suck on my thumb
-start on accident, only w/ self
Secondary- develop later, I can influence my env and my env influences me
-when I throw food on the floor, it falls and someone cleans it; When I kick the toy, it makes a sound
I have agency in world, I can make things happen

Ends: object permanence- peekaboo

• when something is out of sight, it no longer exists
• marks beginning of representational thought- it’s still there even if I can’t see it

Question 5

Preoperational

Answer 5

2-7 y/o
-Start to use symbolic thinking, imagination
I’m a princess; pretend play

Limitation: egocentrism- I’m the only important thing, everything is somehow related to me

• no theory of mind, which understands that others can have different info than me
• if I know where a hidden doll is, and someone walks in, I assume they know where it is too

Limitation: Centration- focus on one thing of a phenomenon (egocentrism is example, so is conservation)

Ends w/ concept of conservation - I can cut an object up and still have the same amount; I can pour liquid into different container w/ different level but amount is same

Question 6

Concrete Operational

Answer 6

7-11 y/o

• understand conservation and theory of mind
• we understand people have dif experiences and perspectives and information
• we can ask questions bc we know they know stuff we don’t- meaningfully
• do NOT have deductive reasoning (A>B, B>C, what can we deduce?)

Ends w/ ability to think abstractly

Question 7

Formal

Answer 7

> 11 y/o

• think abstractly, solve complicated problems
• think logically about abstract ideas
• scientific/mathematic thinking age

-Cognition doesn’t fully develop till 19/20

Question 8

Impacts on development

Answer 8

-culture -ex) social development
Leg Vygotsky- culture development & identity
—-children learn w/ respect to other people (socially)
-more knowledgeable other; zone of proximal development
ex) someone teaches you how to ride a bike

Question 9

Leg Vygotsky

Answer 9

• culture development & identity

Question 10

Intelligence - Late adulthood

Answer 10

• fluid intelligence
• –problem solving, understanding concepts- use what you know to figure out things
• crystallized intelligence
• –knowing facts

older people- less fluid intelligence (ex- can’t computers), great at crystallized
-turn fluid into crystal- list of facts to know

Question 11

Genetic, env, biological factors

Answer 11

brain disorders - ex) dementia

ex) Down’s syndrome
ex) metabolic derangements- ex) liver/renal failure, diabetes = cognitive impairments
ex) long term drug use