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 recall info that supports Tendency to recall info that supports

preconceived (biased?) beliefspreconceived (biased?) beliefso Leads to interpretation of Leads to interpretation of ambiguous ambiguous

evidenceevidence to supporting to supporting existing opinionsexisting opinions The more emotionally involved with a belief, The more emotionally involved with a belief,

the more likely of ignoring facts that the more likely of ignoring facts that undermine/challenge itundermine/challenge 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 a demonstrate extraordinary mental abilities in a specific areaspecific 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) Musicalb) Kinestheticb) Kinestheticc) Spatialc) Spatiald) Verbald) Verbale) Logical/Mathematicale) Logical/Mathematicalf) Intra-personalf) Intra-personalg) 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 to 1904: Binet developed first IQ test in France to rate child 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?

• Issues with IQ tests?Issues with IQ tests?o Lack of theoretical basis Lack of theoretical basis o Cultural biasCultural biaso Only measures certain types of Only measures certain types of

intelligenceintelligenceo 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) referral

ActionAction

• Decision making can produce conflictDecision making can produce conflicto Approach-approach decisionsApproach-approach decisionso Avoidant-avoidant decisionsAvoidant-avoidant decisionso Approach-avoidant decisionsApproach-avoidant decisions