Cognitive Psychology: Concepts & Memory
48 Questions
1 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

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?

<p>Prototype (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of explicit memory?

<p>Knowing your friend's birthday (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They are commonly present but not essential (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do concepts aid in communication?

<p>By conveying information about categories and objects (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Robin (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They can lead to confusion due to fuzzy boundaries (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They help categorize and interpret new information (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Semantic memory (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>By allowing for gradual membership based on feature sharing (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about concepts?

<p>They only apply to concrete objects (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which is a common verification pattern concerning prototypical objects?

<p>Prototypical objects are rapidly verified (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>A few shared features imply membership in another category (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Living underwater (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Schematic objects like a desk and typewriter (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes stereotypes?

<p>Simplified generalizations about groups (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They can be influenced by social desirability bias (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>She (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They exhibit considerable variation in traits selected (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential benefit of using schemas and scripts?

<p>They help manage cognitive overload (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They change based on individual perceptions (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Schemas and scripts prevent cognitive overload but can cause errors (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the knowledge-based approach influence category membership?

<p>It incorporates relationships between features and their attributes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Concepts vary depending on goals and situational aspects. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Motor cortex patterns reflect the actions described by the words. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>The variability of concept representation depending on situational context. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>There are three distinct levels in the hierarchy of concepts. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do causal relationships play in concept categorization?

<p>They help distinguish between more and less likely category members. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the embodiment of concepts illustrate about human cognition?

<p>Cognitive processes are interconnected with motor functions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They consider the situational variability of concept representation. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Family resemblance (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>By comparing new stimuli with instances already stored in memory (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Emotional support (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic best describes goal-derived categories?

<p>They are defined by their function rather than shared attributes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Higher typicality often correlates with higher family resemblance scores. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Things to take on holiday (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do prototypes and exemplars differ in categorization?

<p>Prototypes always represent the most typical member while exemplars can include atypical members. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What features are less prototypical of friendship intimacy?

<p>Practical support (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Basic level (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the spreading activation model explain about semantic memory?

<p>Activation spreads strongly to closely related concepts. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Self-schemas (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Script (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do schemas influence our memory of an event?

<p>They help us remember events that match our expectations. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are social schemas primarily concerned with?

<p>General social knowledge and behavior in social contexts (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They can replace expected events with incorrect details. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is not a type of schema mentioned?

<p>Game schemas (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Concept

A mental representation of a category of objects, typically derived from experience.

Category

A set of objects that belong together, based on shared features or characteristics.

Prototype Approach

A theory of concepts suggesting that we represent concepts based on the most typical or average member of a category - the 'prototype'.

Exemplar Approach

A theory of concepts suggesting that we represent concepts based on individual examples or exemplars that we have encountered.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Knowledge-Based Approach

A theory of concepts suggesting that our knowledge of a concept is based on the relationships between different concepts and our understanding of the world.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Using Concepts

The ability to use concepts to make predictions, understand new information, and think flexibly.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Organisation Of Concepts

The way in which concepts are organized in our minds. They help us retrieve information efficiently.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Schema

Mental frameworks or structures that help us organize and interpret our experiences.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Prototype

The idea of what a typical member of a category should look like based on common features.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Typicality

The extent to which a member of a category resembles the prototype.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Gradual Category Membership

The idea that category membership can be gradual, and not an all or nothing concept.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Typicality Effect

The tendency for people to quickly verify statements about prototypical category members.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Prototype Model

A model of categorization that suggests we use prototypes, based on average features, to represent categories.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Characteristic Features

Features that are commonly found in many members of a category, but not necessarily present in all.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Fuzzy Boundaries

The idea that concepts lack clear boundaries and overlap between categories.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Family Resemblance

The idea that members of a category share common features or attributes, like a family resembling each other.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Goal-Derived Category

A category where members do not share common features but are grouped based on their function or purpose.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Abstract Concept

A concept that is not easily represented by a prototype, like the concept of 'justice'.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Concept Prototype (Abstract Concepts)

A typical and representative instance of a concept like 'friendship intimacy'.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Prototypical Features

Features that are more common and typical of a concept prototype.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Less Prototypical Features

Features that are less common or typical of a concept prototype.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Relationships in Concept Understanding

Our understanding of concepts goes beyond just knowing their features. We also consider the relationships between these features, like how 'sharp' leads to 'dangerous'.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Causal Relationships and Category Membership

People are more likely to consider something a category member if it has the causal properties associated with that category. For example, if someone doesn't have blurry vision, they might be less likely to be considered a member of a category associated with blurred vision, even if they have insomnia, a likely consequence of blurred vision.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Concepts as Stable Representations

Concepts are treated as abstract symbols that remain stable across different situations. This means we use the same representation of a concept regardless of the context.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Situated Nature of Concepts

Conceptual representation is flexible and varies depending on the context and our goals. For example, the concept of 'vehicle' changes based on what we are doing or what we are looking for.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Connection between Concepts, Perception, and Action

Our understanding of concepts is tied to our perceptual experiences and motor actions. In other words, we activate both perceptual and motor systems when we think about concepts.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Embodiment of Concepts

Specific bodily movements, such as tongue, finger, or foot movements, activate different parts of the motor cortex. And, words associated with these movements activate the corresponding motor areas. This shows that concepts activate motor regions related to the actions.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Hierarchy of Concepts

Rosch and colleagues identified three levels in the hierarchy of concepts: superordinate (broadest), basic (most common), and subordinate (most specific).

Signup and view all the flashcards

Basic Level of Concepts

The basic level of a concept is considered the most useful and informative. People tend to use basic-level terms most frequently and learn them first.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Stereotypes

Simplified generalizations about groups, often leading to biased judgments.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Stereotype Influence

How stereotypes influence our cognitive processes, like making quick assumptions about people based on their accents.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

A method to study stereotypes, measuring implicit biases using reaction times and association tasks.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Gender Schema

A type of schema that represents our knowledge of gender roles and expectations.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Eye-Tracking & Stereotype Bias

The tendency to look longer at information that contradicts our expectations, as seen in pronoun errors.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Stereotype Stability

The idea that stereotypes are not static and can change over time, depending on context and experience.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Schemas & Scripts

Mental frameworks that help us organize and interpret experiences based on expectations.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Cognitive Overload & Errors

Mental shortcuts that can speed up processing but may also lead to errors and biases.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Script

A specific type of schema that represents a familiar sequence of events in a particular situation. For example, a lecture script includes entering the room, sitting down, listening, taking notes, leaving.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Person Schema

A type of schema that represents our knowledge about individuals. For example, you might have a person schema for your best friend, which includes their personality traits, interests, and typical behaviour.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Self-Schema

A type of schema that represents our knowledge about our own selves, including our personality traits, values, and beliefs. It also includes our ideals and possible selves.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Spreading Activation Model

The idea that concepts are organized in our minds based on their semantic relatedness. Activation of one node (concept) spreads to other related nodes, making them easier to access.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Schemas and Memory

Schemas can influence our memory by making us more likely to remember things that are consistent with our existing schemas and less likely to remember things that are inconsistent.

Signup and view all the flashcards

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.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Quiz Team

Related Documents

Cognitive Psychology Lecture Notes PDF

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!

More Like This

Psychology: Short-Term vs Long-Term Memory
10 questions

Psychology: Short-Term vs Long-Term Memory

ThrillingAluminium avatar
ThrillingAluminium
Types of Long-Term Memory Flashcards
8 questions

Types of Long-Term Memory Flashcards

TenaciousFeynman9892 avatar
TenaciousFeynman9892
Cognitive Psychology: Memory Models
27 questions

Cognitive Psychology: Memory Models

PoshMermaid avatar
PoshMermaid
Psychology Chapter: Long-Term Memory (LTM)
13 questions

Psychology Chapter: Long-Term Memory (LTM)

DaringHeliotrope4853 avatar
DaringHeliotrope4853
Use Quizgecko on...
Browser
Open
Browser
Browser