Chapters 6 & 7: Memory, Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Part 1: Memory

Memory Process by which we recollect prior experiences and information and skills learned in the past Process by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved

Explicit Memories Clear, includes specific information Episodic – Memory of a specific event – Flashbulb memories Semantic – General knowledge

Implicit Memory Implied, automatic, not clearly stated Skills or procedures you may have learned Use priming – activation of specific associations in the memory – often as a result of repetition

Encoding Translation of information into a form in which it can be stored – Visual – Acoustic – Semantic

THUNSTOFAM If you used a visual code to remember – you would have mentally represented it as a picture (mental image) If you used an acoustic code, you may have read the list of letters to yourself in sequence If you saw the letters as a three-syllable word “thun-sto-fam” you were using both acoustic and semantic codes If the letters served as an acronym like The United States OF America this gives the letters meaning, which is a semantic code

Storage Maintaining information over time A variety of processes used to store information – Maintenance Rehearsal – Elaborative Rehearsal – Organizational Systems

Retrieval Locate storage information and return it to conscious thought – Context-Dependent Memory – State-Dependent Memory – Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon

Three Stages of Memory 1.Sensory Memory - Immediate, initial recording of information a. Iconic Memory b.Eidetic Imagery c.Echoic Memory 2.Short Term Memory – working memory a)Primary and Recency Effect – recall first and last items on a list b)Chunking – organize information into manageable units c)Interference – only so much information can be retained; new stuff replaces what was there 3. Long Term Memory – permanent storage

Basic Memory Tasks Recognition – identifying objects that’s been seen before (multiple choice tests) Recall – bring back into mind – forget half of information after first hour, then it slows Relearning – with some study and effort we can usually relearn things quickly

Types of Forgetting… Decay – fading away of a memory Repression Amnesia – severe memory loss due to brain injury, shock, fatigue, illness, repression

Amnesia Dissociative – psychological trauma Infantile – Can’t recall events before age of three Anterograde – Can’t form forming new memories Retrograde – forget period of time leading up to event

Improving Memory Drill and practice Relate to things you already know Form unusual associations Construct links Use mnemonic devices

Part 2: Thinking and Language

Thinking Paying attention to information, representing it mentally, reasoning about it, and making judgments and decisions about it.

Problem Solving Heuristics – Rules of thumb to find a solution – Analogies – partial similarity among things that are different in other ways Algorithms – Specific procedure that will always lead to the solution of a problem (formulas)

Convert the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius?

Problem-Solving Methods 1.Trial & Error 2.Difference Reduction 3.Means-End Analysis 4.Working Backward 5.Analogies

Incubation Effect Answer just comes to us without working on it Not consciously thinking about it

Reasoning – Use of information to reach conclusions Inductive Reasoning – individual cases / facts help to reach conclusion – Premises could be correct while conclusion is wrong Deductive Reasoning – conclusion is true if premises are true

Inductive Reasoning 1.All the tigers observed in a particular region have yellow black stripes, therefore all the tigers native to this region have yellow stripes. 2.Every time I go to Chick-Fil-A I get food poisoning. Therefore, if I go to Chick-Fil-A today, I will get food-poisoning

Deductive Reasoning 1.South Korea is in Asia 2.The city of Seoul is in South Korea 3.Therefore, Seoul is in Asia (conclusion)

Language Communication of thoughts and feelings through symbols that are arranged according to rules of grammar.

Stages of Language Development 1.Cry / Coo / Babble (pre- linguistic) 2.Words – usually around 1 year 3.By 18 mts – 24(ish words) 4.2 Year Explosion

Part 4: Intelligence

Intelligence Underlying ability to understand the world and cope with its challenges

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence Verbal / Linguistic Logical / Mathematical Visual / Spatial Bodily / Kinesthetic Musical / Rhythmic Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalist Existential

Stanford – Binet Scale Measurement of intelligence Score yields a mental age (intellectual level at which a person is functioning) IQ = relationship between mental age & actual age Mental Age / Chronological Age x 100 = IQ Only measures verbal ability

Wechsler Scales Measurement of Intelligence Verbal & nonverbal Avg. score = 100 Answers compared to others the same age 50% scores % above 130 2% below 70

Mental Retardation IQ of 70 or below But more than just an IQ score – Borderline (IQ 70-85) – Mild (IQ 50-70) – Moderate (IQ 35-49) – Severe (IQ 20-34) – Profound (IQ below 20) Causes – Accidents – Difficulties in child birth – Pregnant woman that abuses alcohol, drugs or malnourished – Genetic disorders

Giftedness IQ above 130 Creativity and motivation, outstanding abilities (music, language arts, math, science) Identify early Can be highly creative and not be gifted

What influences Intelligence? Heredity & Environment What can parents do to improve environment? – Be emotionally / verbally responsive – Involved in kids activities – Preschool – Well-organized and safe home environment – Independent kids

Adults & Intelligence Drop off in intelligence among older adults – Usually in response time, not vocabulary How to maintain health – Income level – Education level – Stimulating jobs – Intact family life – Attend cultural events, read, travel – Marriage to spouse w/ high intellectual ability – Flexible personality