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Chapter 6

Thinking, Language And Intelligence

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology emerged in the mid-20th century and studies how individuals process and use information to remember, think, and understand their ...
Concepts and Prototypes
Concepts and Prototypes
The human nervous system translates sensory stimuli into neural impulses, which the brain processes into information as thoughts and memories, forming ...
Natural and Artificial Concepts
Natural and Artificial Concepts
In psychology, concepts are divided into two categories — natural and artificial concepts. Natural concepts form through direct or indirect ...
Schemata
Schemata
Schemas are pre-existing mental constructs that organize related concepts, making information processing efficient. There are many types of schemas, and ...
Language
Language
Language is a communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other species, such as dogs, which ...
Components of Language
Components of Language
Language has two specific components — lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language consisting of words. Additionally, words are ...
Language Development
Language Development
Children master language quickly, aided by biological predisposition and reinforcement. Skinner proposed language learning through reinforcement, while ...
Language and Cognition
Language and Cognition
Language connects ideas and facilitates communication, shaping how people perceive and interact with the world. In the 1940s, Edward Sapir and Benjamin ...
Problem-Solving
Problem-Solving
A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. It involves trial and error, algorithms, heuristics, and insights. Effective ...
Trial and Error and Algorithm
Trial and Error and Algorithm
Trial and error and algorithms are widely used problem-solving strategies in daily life. Trial and error involves trying different solutions until one ...
Heuristics
Heuristics
Heuristics are problem-solving strategies that use mental shortcuts to simplify decision-making and solve problems. While heuristics provide a general ...
Reasoning
Reasoning
Reasoning involves transforming information into conclusions, which is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Reasoning ...
Decision Making
Decision Making
Decision-making involves evaluating alternatives and choosing among them, such as deciding on a course of action in a difficult situation. Some decisions ...
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves reflective and productive thinking and evaluating evidence, such as questioning nutritional claims by checking the ingredient ...
Creative Thinking
Creative Thinking
Creative thinking involves innovative and unconventional approaches to problem-solving. For example, instead of increasing a smartphone's battery ...
Intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence is the mental capacity to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from ...
Cattell's Theory of Intelligence
Cattell's Theory of Intelligence
Raymond Cattell identified two types of intelligence — fluid and crystallized intelligence. Fluid intelligence involves solving new problems and ...
Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Robert Sternberg proposed the Triarchic theory of intelligence, which divides intelligence into three types — analytical, creative, and practical. ...
Multiple Intelligences Theory
Multiple Intelligences Theory
Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence identifies nine distinct types of intelligence. Verbal-linguistic intelligence involves using language ...
Measures of Intelligence
Measures of Intelligence
One way psychologists measure intelligence is by using standardized tests that produce a score known as the intelligence quotient or IQ. The key ...
Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
In 1904, the French Ministry of Education tasked Alfred Binet with identifying students who struggled to learn through conventional classroom ...
Wechsler's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
Wechsler's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
David Wechsler, a psychologist, believed intelligence involves purposeful action, rational thinking, and effective interaction with the environment. He ...
The Bell Curve
The Bell Curve
A bell curve, or normal distribution, is a symmetrical, bell-shaped graph showing how data points are distributed around the mean. Many human traits, such ...
Biological Influences on Intelligence
Biological Influences on Intelligence
Biological factors like the size of the brain and the specific brain regions, along with genetics, influence intelligence. Intellectual abilities, like ...
Environmental Influences on Intelligence
Environmental Influences on Intelligence
Environmental factors such as good nutrition, supportive parenting, quality schools, and stable neighborhoods significantly influence intelligence. These ...
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