Cognitive Psychology: Concepts & Memory

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of concepts in cognitive psychology?

To facilitate procedural skills

To enhance memory recall techniques

To improve emotional conditioning

To represent mental categories and organize knowledge (correct)

Which approach focuses on specific examples to define a category?

Prototype approach

Exemplar approach (correct)

Knowledge-based approach

Schema approach

In semantic memory, what does general knowledge encompass?

Culturally valued knowledge shared through various media (correct)

Detailed scientific knowledge in specialized fields

Procedural knowledge for completing tasks

Specific episodic memories of personal experiences

What term describes an abstract idealized representation of a category member in the prototype model?

Prototype Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of explicit memory?

Knowing your friend's birthday Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of characteristic features in the prototype approach?

They are commonly present but not essential Signup and view all the answers

How do concepts aid in communication?

By conveying information about categories and objects Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of high typicality according to Rosch's ratings?

Robin Signup and view all the answers

What problem does Wittgenstein identify in defining certain concepts like 'games'?

They can lead to confusion due to fuzzy boundaries Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of schemas in the organization of concepts?

They help categorize and interpret new information Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory includes knowledge of facts such as 'Paris is the capital of France'?

Semantic memory Signup and view all the answers

How does the prototype approach address the issue of membership in categories?

By allowing for gradual membership based on feature sharing Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about concepts?

They only apply to concrete objects Signup and view all the answers

Which is a common verification pattern concerning prototypical objects?

Prototypical objects are rapidly verified Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception regarding the sharing of features in the prototype model?

A few shared features imply membership in another category Signup and view all the answers

Which feature is not typically associated with the prototype of 'birds'?

Living underwater Signup and view all the answers

What did most participants in the Brewer and Treyens study recall from the office?

Schematic objects like a desk and typewriter Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes stereotypes?

Simplified generalizations about groups Signup and view all the answers

What issue can arise from using explicit measures for studying stereotypes?

They can be influenced by social desirability bias Signup and view all the answers

In Kreiner et al.'s study, participants fixated longer on which pronoun during the reading task?

She Signup and view all the answers

What did Garcia-Marques et al.'s research suggest about stereotypes over time?

They exhibit considerable variation in traits selected Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential benefit of using schemas and scripts?

They help manage cognitive overload Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of stereotypes is often considered less stable than previously thought?

They change based on individual perceptions Signup and view all the answers

Which statement regarding concepts, schemas, and scripts is accurate?

Schemas and scripts prevent cognitive overload but can cause errors Signup and view all the answers

How does the knowledge-based approach influence category membership?

It incorporates relationships between features and their attributes. Signup and view all the answers

What does the situated nature of concepts suggest about how we represent concepts?

Concepts vary depending on goals and situational aspects. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when participants are presented with action-related words?

Motor cortex patterns reflect the actions described by the words. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of concepts challenges the notion of their static representation?

The variability of concept representation depending on situational context. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the hierarchy of concepts identified by Rosch and colleagues?

There are three distinct levels in the hierarchy of concepts. Signup and view all the answers

What role do causal relationships play in concept categorization?

They help distinguish between more and less likely category members. Signup and view all the answers

What does the embodiment of concepts illustrate about human cognition?

Cognitive processes are interconnected with motor functions. Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a characteristic of the theoretical models of concepts mentioned?

They consider the situational variability of concept representation. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the phenomenon where members of a category share attributes and features?

Family resemblance Signup and view all the answers

According to the exemplar approach, how do people make category judgments?

By comparing new stimuli with instances already stored in memory Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is considered a prototypical feature of friendship intimacy?

Emotional support Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic best describes goal-derived categories?

They are defined by their function rather than shared attributes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding typicality and family resemblance scores?

Higher typicality often correlates with higher family resemblance scores. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following categories shows little evidence of family resemblance?

Things to take on holiday Signup and view all the answers

How do prototypes and exemplars differ in categorization?

Prototypes always represent the most typical member while exemplars can include atypical members. Signup and view all the answers

What features are less prototypical of friendship intimacy?

Practical support Signup and view all the answers

Which level of categorization includes terms such as 'chairs', 'dogs', and 'screwdrivers'?

Basic level Signup and view all the answers

What does the spreading activation model explain about semantic memory?

Activation spreads strongly to closely related concepts. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of schema focuses specifically on the knowledge we have about ourselves?

Self-schemas Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe a well-structured sequence of events associated with a particular activity?

Script Signup and view all the answers

How do schemas influence our memory of an event?

They help us remember events that match our expectations. Signup and view all the answers

What are social schemas primarily concerned with?

General social knowledge and behavior in social contexts Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential negative outcome of using schemas and scripts in our memory processing?

They can replace expected events with incorrect details. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is not a type of schema mentioned?

Game schemas Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cognitive Psychology - Concepts and Semantic Memory

Concepts: Mental representations of categories of objects, derived from experience. They are efficient for representing knowledge and help focus on similarities among objects. Concepts enable predictions and communication, though with individual differences in category understanding.

Long-Term Memory

Long-term memory: Long-term storage of information. It is categorized into explicit and implicit.
Explicit (declarative): Information we consciously recall
Episodic: Biographical events (e.g., remembering a specific event or experience).
Semantic: General knowledge of words, ideas, concepts (e.g., knowing an elephant lives in Africa).
Implicit (non-declarative): Information we're not consciously aware of
Procedural: Skills (e.g., riding a bike).
Emotional conditioning: Learning to associate a stimulus with an emotional response (e.g., phobias).
Priming: Exposure to one stimulus influences response to a subsequent, related stimulus.
Conditioned reflex: A learned automatic response (e.g., salivating at the smell of food).

General Knowledge

General knowledge: Knowledge communicated by non-specialist media. It covers a wide range of subjects and is a component of crystallized intelligence, strongly associated with general intelligence and openness to experience. It is stored in semantic memory. Essential for comprehending the world and learning new information.

Semantic Memory

Semantic memory: Our general knowledge of facts, ideas, and concepts, like the knowledge that Paris is the capital of France or the structure of a bicycle. It contains a large number of words and information.
Concepts: Categories of items, helping us to organise information and process it more quickly and effectively. We often use the idea of "concepts" and "categories" to organise information. This is also a way to retrieve, store, and process information more effectively.

Defining Concepts

Concepts: We define categories by grouping objects that share a common feature(s). For any concept, there is a question that defines each concept that is an answer. For example, if asked 'what is a dog', the answer to that question illustrates your concept of dog.

Prototypes

Prototype approach: Represents the category member as an abstract, idealised representation of the category with the average representation of a category member. It is built on common elements within a group/category, not necessarily identical features. Members don't have equal standing as some are strongly typical for a category while others are not. Prototype members are rapidly verified.

Exemplars

Exemplar approach: Relies on instances (exemplars) of concepts, not a prototype. Instances are stored in memory and when we encounter new items, we compare them with saved exemplars.

Knowledge-Based Approach

Knowledge-based approach: We have knowledge of the relationship between concept attributes, in addition to features/attributes. For example, sharp is linked to dangerous. Knowledge also influences our categorization decisions, especially with causal relationships. This is important in categories with blurred boundaries.

Situated Nature of Concepts

Situated nature of concepts: Concepts vary across situations, depending on our present goals and situational aspects. The use of concepts involves sensory-motor/perception and behavioural systems, in addition to abstract representations.

Schemas

Schema: A mental structure used to organize knowledge in a meaningful way, particularly about the world around us, other people, and ourselves. Schemas can be about specific types of situations. These types of knowledge units are larger than single concepts.
Types of Schemas: Social schemas (general knowledge about social relationships), person schemas (information about specific individuals), self-schemas (info about ourselves), role schemas (appropriate behaviours in defined situations), event schemas (sequences of events, also known as scripts).

Scripts

Scripts: Well-structured sequences of events associated with a particular activity. They assist us in comprehending daily occurrences. They give us a framework from which we expect certain things to happen.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes: Simplified generalizations of groups. They can influence our behaviour and understandings of the world around us. Stereotyping is a specific type of schemas. Some research suggests they are less fixed and stable than previous thought. Stereotypes can enable quick judgment, which can be necessary, but errors can also result from this.

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Description

This quiz explores key concepts in cognitive psychology, focusing on the nature of mental representations and long-term memory. It covers the differences between explicit and implicit memory, as well as the types of memory such as episodic and semantic. Test your understanding of these essential psychological constructs!