Psychology of Mental Representations

Mental Representations of Knowledge

• Knowledge is stored in the mind through mental images, words, or abstract propositions.
• Mental imagery is a product of imagination, representing sensations (mostly visual), past experiences, and fantasies.
• Knowledge can be represented in different ways.
• Some knowledge is easier to represent in images, while other knowledge is easier to represent in words.
• Neither images nor words are complete representations of reality.

Dual Code Theory

• Mental representations use both pictorial (analog) and verbal (symbolic) codes.
• Pictorial codes are processed differently than verbal codes.
• Pictures are easily recalled in any order, while words are more easily recalled in order.
• Images and symbols have limited capacities; interference occurs when using similar tasks.

Evidence for Dual Code Theory

• Subjects take longer to visualize something than to just recall information.
• Using rules to recall images interferes with words.
• Mental representations are in terms of their meaning, not as specific pictures/words.
• Propositions are the fundamental relationships between objects (subject and predicate.)

Propositional Theory

• Knowledge is represented as propositions, expressing relationships between objects.
• Descriptions of objects and their relationships are stored in a symbolic form.
• Propositions summarize the meaning of sentences.

Declarative vs. Procedural Knowledge

• Declarative knowledge ("what" knowledge) includes facts and concepts.
• Procedural knowledge ("how" knowledge) includes procedures and processes.
• Knowledge is usually organized into categories.

Categorization

• Categorization involves grouping similar objects or concepts on common features.
• Natural categories exist in nature (e.g., animals).
• Abstract categories are human-created groupings (e.g., furniture).
• Ad hoc categories are temporary and highly specific (e.g., things I want to pet).

Prototypes/Concepts

• Prototypes are typical or best examples of a category.
• Classical concepts are easily defined by their features.
• Fuzzy concepts are more loosely defined and based on prototypes.

Semantic Networks Model

• Conceptual knowledge is represented as networks of interconnected concepts and relationships.
• Concepts/ideas are stored as nodes.
• Connections between nodes are relationships.

Bilingualism

• Bilingual individuals use two languages.
• Language use can be simultaneous (learning both languages from early childhood), or sequential (learning one language first, then another).
• Bilinguals may think differently than monolinguals.
• The age of learning a second language may influence fluency and skill.

Linguistic Relativity/Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

• Language influences how individuals perceive the world.
• Different languages can lead to different cognitive systems.
• Words for colours, like light blue and dark blue, in some languages are more similar than others.
• Linguistic differences can affect language use in daily life.

Language in Social Context

• Understanding language use within social contexts, like conversations, is an important aspect of studying language.
• Factors like context, speaker's intention, common knowledge, and interpersonal relationships impact how language is used.

Pragmatic Skills

• Pragmatic skills are crucial for successful communication in social contexts.
• These include establishing common ground with the listener, maintaining the topic, using appropriate language, and being aware of conversational partners' perspectives.

Language Errors/Slips

• Errors, like anticipation (saying a word early), perseveration (repetition), substitution (replacing a word), and reversals (swapping sounds) in speech.
• They often reflect deeper cognitive processes.
• There are different types of errors depending on the particular linguistic features in error.

Additional Concepts

• Wernicke's area: Important for speech comprehension.
• Broca's area: Important for speech production.
• Aphasia: Language disorders caused by brain damage affecting the production or comprehension of language.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common developmental disorder involving abnormalities in cognitive, communication, and language functioning.

Explore the fascinating concepts of mental representations and Dual Code Theory. This quiz will challenge your understanding of how knowledge is stored and recalled, emphasizing the roles of pictorial and verbal codes. Learn about the processes that differentiate imagery from verbalization and the implications for memory recall.