AP Psychology - Cognition and Intelligence

Cognition and Intelligence Key Terms

• Prefrontal Cortex: Part of the frontal lobe associated with higher-order thinking, planning, and language processing.

• Mental Image: Visual representations that symbolize objects or events.

• Concept: A cognitive category that groups similar objects, events, ideas, or people.

• Prototype: The best or most typical example of a particular category.

• Hierarchy: A system organized by levels of rank or importance.

• Algorithm: A systematic, logical process guaranteeing the solution to a problem, in contrast to faster but less reliable heuristics.

• Heuristic: A simple thinking strategy that aids in judgment and problem-solving, usually quicker but potentially more error-prone than algorithms.

• Mental Set: The inclination to approach problems in a habitual way, often based on previous success.

• Functional Fixedness: The tendency to view objects only in their conventional use, hindering problem solving.

• Confirmation Bias: The inclination to favor information that confirms existing beliefs while dismissing contradictory evidence.

• Belief Bias: Pre-existing beliefs can distort logical reasoning, leading to mistaken conclusions.

• Availability Heuristic: Estimating event likelihood based on memory availability; vivid instances are perceived as common.

• Representativeness Heuristic: Assessing likelihood based on how well something matches a prototype, potentially overlooking other relevant information.

• Framing: The presentation of an issue impacts decision-making and judgment significantly.

• Overconfidence: The tendency to be more certain than accurate, leading to inflated confidence in one's beliefs.

Thinking and Language Development

• Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking: Divergent thinking generates creative solutions through broad exploration, whereas convergent thinking focuses on finding the single correct answer to standard questions.

• Phoneme vs. Morpheme: Phonemes are the smallest sound units in a language distinguishing meaning (like 'b' or 'p'), while morphemes are the smallest grammatical units carrying meaning, such as prefixes.

• Receptive vs. Productive Language: Receptive language refers to understanding spoken or written language, while productive language pertains to speaking and writing skills.

• Noam Chomsky: Proposed that language acquisition is innate, highlighting that humans have an inherent ability to develop language regardless of environmental factors.

• Language Acquisition Device: Chomsky's idea of a prewired brain mechanism enabling children to learn language naturally.

• Universal Grammar: Chomsky’s theory that no language is inherently superior in complexity; all humans have the capacity to learn any language without formal instruction.

• B.F. Skinner: Behavioral psychologist known for developing techniques to manipulate behavior through reinforcement observed through the Skinner box.

• Linguistic Determinism: Benjamin Whorf's hypothesis positing that language shapes the way individuals think.

Language Development Stages

• Cooing: From 6-8 weeks, infants start producing simple vowel sounds, typically reflecting contentment.

• Babbling: Occurs around 4 months when infants begin producing nonsensical sounds spontaneously.

• Telegraphic Speech: Early language use characterized by short sentences that include only essential words, omitting less critical grammar.

Explore key concepts in Cognition and Intelligence from AP Psychology with these flashcards. Dive into the roles of the prefrontal cortex, mental images, concepts, and prototypes. Perfect for review or exam preparation.