Cognition and IntelligenceCognition and Intelligence

CognitionCognition

• Mental activities associated with thinking, Mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, and rememberingknowing, and remembering

• Ideas, thoughts, concept formation, logic and Ideas, thoughts, concept formation, logic and reasoning, problem solving, decision makingreasoning, problem solving, decision making

• ““Meta-cognition” – thinking about thinking; Meta-cognition” – thinking about thinking; thought thought control control

CognitionCognition

• CategorizationCategorizationo Natural groupings based on common Natural groupings based on common

properties (properties (JeopardyJeopardy))o ““Animals” is a category with Animals” is a category with manymany

concepts concepts

• ConceptConcepto A mental representation of a category A mental representation of a category

(“prototypes”)(“prototypes”)o ““Chicken” = farm animal, small, feathersChicken” = farm animal, small, feathers

NAGAMARNAGAMARSLEVOSLEVO

STINGIHSTINGIHUNOSBUNOSBKITNHKITNH

MIECOVHHMIECOVHH

Problem SolvingProblem Solving

• HeuristicsHeuristicso Cognitive shortcuts for selecting Cognitive shortcuts for selecting

among alternatives without carefully among alternatives without carefully considering each oneconsidering each one

o Allows for rapid and efficient (but Allows for rapid and efficient (but sometimes) misleading judgmentssometimes) misleading judgments

o Ex: Representative heuristic, Ex: Representative heuristic, availability heuristic availability heuristic

Problem SolvingProblem Solving

• Confirmation BiasConfirmation Biaso Tendency to search/recall information that Tendency to search/recall information that

supports preconceived (biased) beliefssupports preconceived (biased) beliefs

o Leads to interpretation of Leads to interpretation of ambiguous ambiguous evidenceevidence to supporting to supporting existing opinionsexisting opinions

The more emotionally involved you are with The more emotionally involved you are with a belief, the more likely you will ignore a belief, the more likely you will ignore facts/arguments that tend to undermine itfacts/arguments that tend to undermine it

o Ex: “Remember the hits and forget the Ex: “Remember the hits and forget the misses”, misses”, psychic readings,psychic readings, Hussein/WMDHussein/WMD

IntelligenceIntelligence

• Achievement testsAchievement testso Measure what you’ve already learned Measure what you’ve already learned o Reading recognition, spelling, arithmetic, Reading recognition, spelling, arithmetic,

computation (scholastic exam)computation (scholastic exam)

• Aptitude testsAptitude testso Goal is to test how you will do in the future Goal is to test how you will do in the future

(prediction)(prediction)o Measures how you apply existing Measures how you apply existing

information into a new scenario (career information into a new scenario (career placement exam, IQ tests)placement exam, IQ tests)

IntelligenceIntelligence

• Autistic-savant Autistic-savant o Scoring extremely low on IQ tests but Scoring extremely low on IQ tests but

demonstrate extraordinary mental abilities in demonstrate extraordinary mental abilities in a specific areaa specific area

o Not all individuals with autism are savants Not all individuals with autism are savants ((Rain ManRain Man))

• Estimated prevalence of savant abilities in Estimated prevalence of savant abilities in autism ~10%autism ~10%

o Not all individuals with low IQ are savantsNot all individuals with low IQ are savants• Estimated prevalence ~1%Estimated prevalence ~1%

IntelligenceIntelligence

• Multiple IntelligencesMultiple Intelligencesa) Musicala) Musical

b) Kinestheticb) Kinesthetic

c) Spatialc) Spatial

d) Verbald) Verbal

e) Logical/Mathematicale) Logical/Mathematical

f) Intra-personalf) Intra-personal

g) Interpersonalg) Interpersonal

CreativityCreativity

• Defined as “divergent problem solving”Defined as “divergent problem solving”

• How do we operationalize creativity?How do we operationalize creativity?

• Recognizing creativity?Recognizing creativity?o Independence Independence o OriginalityOriginalityo PersistencePersistenceo FlexibilityFlexibility

CreativityCreativity

• Moderately correlated with intelligenceModerately correlated with intelligence

• Not all highly-intelligent people are Not all highly-intelligent people are creative!creative!

• ImpedimentsImpedimentso Functional fixednessFunctional fixednesso Habitual setHabitual set

IntelligenceIntelligence

• What is the operational definition for What is the operational definition for intelligence? intelligence?

• What two factors influence IQ?What two factors influence IQ?• History of the IQ testHistory of the IQ test

o 1904: Binet developed first IQ test in France 1904: Binet developed first IQ test in France to rate child to rate child intelligence intelligence

o 1916: IQ test later modified at Stanford 1916: IQ test later modified at Stanford UniversityUniversity

IQ = (mental age/chronological age) x 100IQ = (mental age/chronological age) x 100

IntelligenceIntelligence

• Are IQ tests reliable? Valid?Are IQ tests reliable? Valid?

• Why do IQ tests get a bad rap?Why do IQ tests get a bad rap?o Lack of theoretical basis Lack of theoretical basis o Cultural biasCultural biaso Only measures certain types of Only measures certain types of

intelligenceintelligenceo Merely tests your test-taking abilities Merely tests your test-taking abilities o How can we test How can we test lifelife intelligence? intelligence?o What What isis intelligence? intelligence?

IntelligenceIntelligence

• Fluid knowledgeFluid knowledgeo Ability to draw analogies, recognize Ability to draw analogies, recognize

patterns, solve novel problemspatterns, solve novel problemso As age increases, this type of intelligence As age increases, this type of intelligence

decreasesdecreases

• Crystallized knowledgeCrystallized knowledgeo This is your knowledge baseThis is your knowledge baseo Vocabulary, geography, general world Vocabulary, geography, general world

knowledge knowledge

ActionAction

• Options in the decision-making processOptions in the decision-making processo Routine behaviorRoutine behavioro External referralExternal referralo Intentional randomizationIntentional randomizationo Affect (emotional) referralAffect (emotional) referralo Lexicographic approachLexicographic approacho Conjunctive (elimination-by-aspects) Conjunctive (elimination-by-aspects)

approachapproach

ActionAction

• Decision making can produce conflictDecision making can produce conflicto Approach-approach decisionsApproach-approach decisions

o Avoidant-avoidant decisionsAvoidant-avoidant decisions

o Approach-avoidant decisionsApproach-avoidant decisions