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    PYC1501 Basic Psychology Cognition - Thinking

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    ektha_nankoomar91
    This document provides an overview of cognition and thinking. It discusses the key components of thinking, including perception, mental representations, and the three main symbol systems used in thinking: images, concepts, and language. Concepts are the building blocks of thinking and help organize knowledge into hierarchies from general to specific. Concept formation allows us to classify and make sense of the world. Language, including inner speech, also plays a major role in directing thought and communication. Thinking involves processing information through these various symbolic representations.

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    PYC1501 Basic Psychology Cognition - Thinking

    Uploaded by

    ektha_nankoomar91
    3K views4 pages
    This document provides an overview of cognition and thinking. It discusses the key components of thinking, including perception, mental representations, and the three main symbol systems used in thinking: images, concepts, and language. Concepts are the building blocks of thinking and help organize knowledge into hierarchies from general to specific. Concept formation allows us to classify and make sense of the world. Language, including inner speech, also plays a major role in directing thought and communication. Thinking involves processing information through these various symbolic representations.

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    PYC1501 NOTES

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    PYC1501 Basic Psychology Cognition- Thinking

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    This document provides an overview of cognition and thinking. It discusses the key components of thinking, including perception, mental representations, and the three main symbol systems used in thinking: images, concepts, and language. Concepts are the building blocks of thinking and help organize knowledge into hierarchies from general to specific. Concept formation allows us to classify and make sense of the world. Language, including inner speech, also plays a major role in directing thought and communication. Thinking involves processing information through these various symbolic representations.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    3K views4 pages

    PYC1501 Basic Psychology Cognition - Thinking

    Uploaded by

    ektha_nankoomar91
    This document provides an overview of cognition and thinking. It discusses the key components of thinking, including perception, mental representations, and the three main symbol systems used in thinking: images, concepts, and language. Concepts are the building blocks of thinking and help organize knowledge into hierarchies from general to specific. Concept formation allows us to classify and make sense of the world. Language, including inner speech, also plays a major role in directing thought and communication. Thinking involves processing information through these various symbolic representations.

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    You are on page 1of 4

    A Z of Psychology

    CHAPTER 3: Cognition: Thinking


    1. The nature of thought

    Thinking =Refers to mentally processing info

    Perception is the first step in processing

    Perception = form of knowing about the world based on info obtained from our sensory
    systems

    Sensory info is compared with mental structures or internal representations

    This will help that info is identified and can guide our actions further

    Thinking is complex process of transforming available info to form new representations

    Through thinking we process symbolic representation of things

    Thus when we think about something we do not have to have that thing in front of us

    Thoughts are symbols or representations of the actual objects or events

    Symbolic representations can be of concrete objects (like a car) or based on abstract


    ideas (like democracy or feelings)

    Most basic level thinking is internal representation of problems or situations

    When we think we use certain structures of symbols

    The 3 main symbol systems are: images, concepts & language

    1.1

    Images

    Images = symbolic representation of objects and their characteristics

    Images is mental representations that have picture-like qualities

    E.g. even if someone is not present you can form a mental image of that person

    This image is based on the how the person looks - visual

    We can also base image on what a person sound like say there voice = auditory image

    Or of a place based on the sounds you associate with that place like the sea

    Image can help us think more effectively

    Forming an image can help remember info about it or help us to remember unrelated
    things

    E.g. It is difficult to remember list of unrelated words but if we attach an image to the
    words it wil be easier to remember (example p. 14)

    Images can help us to solve problems by retrieving images in memory applicable to the
    problem

    1.2

    Concepts

    Basic process in thinking is to categorise experiences

    Categories we form as mental representations of group related items are called concepts

    They are building blocks of thinking & help us to organise knowledge

    May be related to physical objects like food

    Can also refer to abstract like democracy

    Concepts may represent properties of an object like colour or size therefore red and blue
    are also concepts

    May also refer to relationship between objects lie bigger or heavier etc.

    1.2.1

    Hierarchical organisation of concepts

    Using concepts is way of thinking classifying things in our world & making sense of it

    Concept formation is based on experience

    Interaction with the environment help us learn about the characteristics of things &
    place them in categories or groups

    Concepts can form networks

    Means one concept may be part of other concepts

    E.g. fruit is part of concept food but fruit also include concept apples

    To make sense of world we tend to organise related concepts in a hierarchy

    A hierarchy organise things from general to the specific

    Conceptual hierarchy made up by at least 3 levels:


    a)

    superordinate (or top)

    b)

    intermediate (or middle)

    c)

    subordinate (or bottom)

    Things that have common attributes fall on same level

    Concept on each level includes all the concepts on the lower levels

    Superordinate

    Intermediate

    Subordinate

    Food
    Fruit

    Apples
    Bananas
    Oranges
    Grapes

    Vegetables

    Carrots
    Onions
    Tomatoes
    Beans

    1.2.2

    Conceptual rules

    Use rules to decide if something belongs to a certain concept or not

    Example. To qualify to be part of concept food it must be edible and maintain life and
    growth

    Formal conceptual hierarchies are based on exact definitions or agreements about he


    attributes in a objective sense

    This type of definition is called denotative meaning

    Informal conceptual hierarchies are based on subjective or personal experience or


    emotions

    Personal meanings of concepts are called connotative meanings

    1.2.3

    Conceptual errors

    Inaccurate use of concepts lead to errors in thinking

    If we oversimplify complex category result in formation of stereotypes or rigid thinking

    Problems can also be caused by all-or-nothing or one-dimensional thought

    This leads to classification of concepts at extremes and not seeing the difference inbetween

    Can lead to classification of something as absolutely right or wrong

    1.2.4

    Prototypes

    Process of concept formation attempt of the mind to function economically

    Means to minimise processing time & effort

    Respond most effectively to concepts on most basic level

    Example: looking at an apple we think about it as an apple not a fruit or a type of food

    By forming prototype it also help us to think more efficiently

    Prototype = helps us to identify something more effectively

    E.g. prototype of a table is a flat surface with 4 legs attached to it

    You can get different types of tables but they are based on the same principle

    1.3

    Language

    Most thinking relies great deal on language

    Language = system of symbols to represent thoughts

    Language is use as way to make sense of things & means of communication with others
    based on shared system of meaning

    1.3.1

    Inner speech

    Language is not only used to communicate with others but also to direct our own thought s
    and actions

    E.g. carrying out a complex task for the first time you say things out load to make the
    task simpler

    Is called inner speech or implicit speech

    Inner speech consist of key words & phrases not complete and grammatically correct
    sentences

    Like driving in a unfamiliar city you may repeat phrases relating to directions given to
    you: public telephone on corner

    1.3.2

    Language and thought

    There is a relationship between language and thought but they are not identical

    Thinking can take place without language

    Too much inner speech can slow down the process of visual problem solving

    Language helps to form concepts through naming and classifying perceptions

    But words and concepts are not the same

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