Cognition & Intelligence

What do we mean by cognition? Cognition- the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

How do we solve problems or answer questions? Algorithm- a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem that contrasts with the usually speedier but more error-prone heuristic method. Heuristic- a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error prone

Insight Insight- a sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy based solutions Brain scans show sudden activity during moments of insight with little indication of anything leading up to these moments. Like this 

Quick decisions….are they reliable? Intuition-an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning. Availability heuristic- estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind, we presume such events are common. Sharks or Horses?

Confirmation Bias….It can get in the way Confirmation Bias- a tendency to search for Information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence.

Sometimes it’s hard to let go….. Overconfidence-the tendency to be more confident than correct or to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments. Belief perseverance-clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited. Ex. Crime punishment studies

Don’t forget “framing” Framing- the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions & judgments.  Condom use is 95% effective in preventing transmission of the HIV virus  Condoms have a 5% failure rate when it come to the prevention of the HIV transmission

Intelligence Testing Alfred Binet was commissioned by the French government to study the intelligence of children in He and his partner developed the idea of a “mental age”

Lewis Terman & Stanford Over time, Binet’s tests were given numerical values to represent inherited intelligence. Working at Stanford University, Terman adjusted some of Binet’s questions and adjusted the scale to measure adults as well. Terman renamed the test the Stanford-Binet.

Stern’s formula! German psychologist William Stern helped to develop the following formula to figure Intelligence Quotient, or IQ

Wechsler Intelligence Tests Created by psychologist David Wechsler, these tests are the most widely used today for both children and adults. Wechsler’s test were improvement because they measured both verbal and nonverbal abilities including: Vocabulary Visual abstract processing Letter-number sequencing

More on Wechsler It is important to note that most intelligence tests today do not use the concept of mental age in the same way as the original Stanford- Binet. The Wechsler’s 15 subtests can help to highlight potential strengths or weaknesses in an individual. Hey, that’s him!!  “D-Wex”

Intelligence Ranges 68% of all scores fall within the “average” range of % of all scores are within 30 points of 100

Flynn Effect Named for psychologist James Flynn of New Zealand, this represents our worldwide rise in IQ scores over the past over the past 80 years. *The average person’s IQ score in 1920, by today’s standards would be a 76! Because of the Flynn Effect, IQ scores are occasionally adjusted to compensate.

As we age….. Crystallized intelligence- our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age Fluid intelligence- our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood