1. Chapter 9: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

2. Thinking In psychology we call thinking cognition
Thinking about thinking is called metacognition
And it is what we’re going to be doing today!
How do we think?

3. Basic Approaches to Thinking
Concepts
Ex. ball, chair, book, car
Prototypes
Ex. Cat – describe your prototypical cat

4. Problem Solving What are the basic approaches to solving a problem?
Trial and Error
Algorithms
Heuristics
Insight

5. Things that get in the way of problem solving
Confirmation bias
Fixation
Functional fixedness

6. More details about Heuristics
We tend to use heuristics incorrectly in two basic ways:
Based on availability – we make the mistake that if an idea comes to us easily, it must be common
Based on representativeness – we make mistakes in judging the likelihood of something if the information we have fits a certain prototype
Ken vs. Ed example

7. Overconfidence
Another cognitive mistake people commonly make is to overestimate their own knowledge and accuracy
Students often do this after leaving an exam

8. Framing: Making Decisions
Framing, or how an idea/issue is presented can have a huge effect on our approach to it
In politics, this is called ‘spin’
Store sales capitalize on the frame of getting a deal

9. Belief Perseverance
Despite evidence to the contrary, we tend to stick by our original beliefs about something
To get around this bias, you have to get people to fully consider the opposite position

10. Skinner & Chomsky: Two theories of Language Acquisition
Chomsky & the ‘language acquisition device’
This ‘device’ is a biological mechanism in the brain that allows us to learn language
You guys have heard Skinner’s name before – anyone remember from what?

11. Language Development Four important parts of language:
Phonemes
Semantics
Syntax
Pragmatics
As early as 4 months old babies begin to babble and try our phonemic sounds
Around 1 year babies begin learning semantics & using single words

12. Development continued
During this one-word stage babies use single words to indicate longer sentences
Around age 2, they begin using telegraphic speech

13. Critical Period?
If we aren’t exposed to language during childhood, will we ever be able to learn it?
Language seems to have more of a sensitive period than a critical one

14. Thinking and Language
Linguistic Determinism is a theory that says language influences the way that we think
Lots of cross-cultural research has shown that language does seem to shape the way we think
But do we always think in words??

15. Language and animals Humans have unique language abilities
productivity
Non-human primates also have language skills, but not with the same level of productivity

16. Can chimps talk?
Common chimps do communicate orally, but their calls don’t resemble human speech
They can be taught very basic sign-language & to use other symbolic representations to indicate requests, etc.
But they don’t use these gestures and symbols to make unique communications

17. Intelligence Know key players – Ex. Binet
Know different kinds of intelligence
Know the controversy/biases that surround intelligence testing

18. Reminder: Exam #3 on Thursday Chapters 6-9