Define thinking Describe several ways in which we represent information in our minds
1. Define thinking.
2. Describe several ways in which we represent information in our minds.
3. Explain the difference between logical and natural concepts.
4. Identify and describe mental strategies we can use to solve problems more effectively.
5. Identify and describe mental roadblocks that impede problem-solving and decision-making.
6. Describe the basic processes of creative thought and explain the difference between divergent and convergent thinking.
7. How can you apply skills of problem-solving to become a creative problem solver in everyday life? (Please give at least 3 examples)
8. Identify and describe the basic components of language and the milestones in language development and describe the roles of nature and nurture in language development.
9. Evaluate the linguistic relativity hypothesis and whether language is unique to humans.
10. Define intelligence, identify different tests of intelligence, and evaluate the characteristics of a good test of intelligence
11. Evaluate gender differences in cognitive abilities.
12. Describe the characteristics of the two extremes of intelligence and the misuse of intelligence tests.
13. Describe the major theories of intelligence and evaluate the roles of heredity and environment in intelligence.
Essentials of Psychology: Concepts and Applications, 6e Chapter 7: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Icebreaker
Each student is asked to reflect upon the following questions to begin thinking about concepts related to thinking, language, and intelligence.
To what extent have you found brainstorming to be useful?
Do you think brainstorming inspires creativity or squelches it? Why?
What are alternative ways to generate novel ideas and solutions?
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter Objectives (1 of 3)
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
07.01 Define thinking.
07.02 Describe several ways in which we represent information in our minds.
07.03 Explain the difference between logical and natural concepts.
07.04 Identify and describe mental strategies we can use to solve problems more effectively.
07.05 Identify and describe mental roadblocks that impede problem solving and decision making.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter Objectives (2 of 3)
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
07.06 Describe the basic processes of creative thought and explain the difference between divergent and convergent thinking.
07.07 Apply skills of problem solving to become a creative problem solver.
07.08 Identify and describe the basic components of language and the milestones in language development, and describe the roles of nature and nurture in language development.
07.09 Evaluate the linguistic relativity hypothesis and whether language is unique to humans.
‹#›
Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter Objectives (2 of 3)
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
07.10 Define intelligence, identify different tests of intelligence, and evaluate the characteristics of a good test of intelligence.
07.11 Evaluate gender differences in cognitive abilities.
07.12 Describe the characteristics of the two extremes of intelligence and the misuses of intelligence tests.
07.13 Describe the major theories of intelligence and evaluate the roles of heredity and environment in intelligence.
‹#›
Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Module 7.1
Thinking
Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Mental Images: In Your Mind’s Eye
Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that focuses on processes such as perception, thinking, problem-solving, decision making, and language.
Thinking is the process of mentally representing and manipulating information.
Mental images help us perform various cognitive functions, such as remembering directions and seeking creative solutions to problems.
Think about the route you take when traveling from your home to the grocery store.
What mental images are going through your mind?
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Discussion Activity 1
Top athletes frequently use mental imagery as a means to build on their strengths and reduce their weaknesses.
What are the cognitive processes by which mental imagery results in improved sports performance?
Have you used mental imagery to improve your athletic skills? How did it affect your performance?
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Think-Pair-Share Activity 1
Students pair up and answer the following questions:
Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that explores processes such as perception, thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and language.
Is “thinking” integral to all of these processes? Why or why not?
Can a person engage in any of these processes without also engaging in thinking? Why or why not?
Student pairs should then share their answers with the class.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Concepts: What Makes a Bird a Bird?
Concepts are mental categories for classifying events, objects, and ideas on the basis of their common features or properties.
There are two major types of concepts:
Logical concepts are concepts with clearly defined roles for membership.
We know these concepts by a specific set of characteristics they always exhibit, such as what defines basic shapes.
Natural concepts are concepts with poorly defined or fuzzy rules for membership.
For example, what makes a fruit a fruit? Is a pumpkin a fruit?
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Knowledge Check Activity 1
Which of the following is an example of a logical concept?
Dogs
Vegetables
Snow
Triangle
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Knowledge Check Activity 1: Answer
Which of the following is an example of a logical concept?
Answer: d. Triangle
The concept “triangle” is used to describe any three-sided form or figure. Dogs, vegetables, and snow are all examples of natural concepts, as they all are poorly defined concepts. For example, the concept of ”vegetable” includes items such as green beans, carrots, beetroot, and lettuce, which are dissimilar in color, shape, texture, and size.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Problem Solving: Applying Mental Strategies to Solving Problems
Problem solving is a form of thinking focused on finding a solution to a particular problem.
Strategies for problem solving include trial-and-error, insight, algorithms, and heuristics.
An algorithm is a step-by-step set of rules that will always lead to a correct solution to a problem.
Mathematical formulas are examples of algorithms.
A heuristic is a rule of thumb for solving problems or making decisions.
Heuristics do not guarantee a solution, but may help you make a decision more quickly.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Mental Roadblocks to Problem Solving
We have a tendency to rely on strategies that previously worked well in similar situations, which is called a mental set.
While a mental set can aid in reaching an appropriate solution more quickly, it can also impede problem-solving when the new situation requires a different solution.
Another barrier to problem-solving is functional fixedness, the tendency to perceive objects as limited to the customary functions they serve.
We also tend to allow irrelevant information to distract our attention from the relevant information needed to solve a problem.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Why It Matters: Mental Roadblocks in Decision Making (1 of 2)
We are constantly making decisions, whether they are simple everyday ones such as what to wear, or important life decisions such as what to major in.
Decision making is a form of problem solving in which we must select a course of action from among the available alternatives.
Our decision making is often influenced by underlying cognitive biases.
For example, the confirmation bias is the tendency to stick with an initial hypothesis despite strong evidence to the contrary.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Why It Matters: Mental Roadblocks in Decision Making (2 of 2)
Heuristics can help us solve problems but they can also lead to bad decisions.
The representative heuristic is a rule of thumb for making a judgement that assumes a given sample is representative of the larger population from which it is drawn.
For example, we may assume an individual dressed in unconventional clothes with facial piercings to be an artist rather than an accountant.
The availability heuristic is the tendency to judge events as more likely to occur when information pertaining to them comes readily to mind.
We might purchase a particular brand of ice cream because we recall seeing it advertised.
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Discussion Activity 2
News outlets provide information – even the same news – differently from each other, frequently using sensational headlines and images.
People tend to read news or social media posts that align with their perspectives.
What are implications of this confirmation bias?
What are ways that confirmation bias can be mitigated?
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Nevid, Essentials of Psychology, 6th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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