Curriculum

Piaget(1896-1980): development from child to adult children are actively constructing their understanding of the world as they grow 0-2 years: sensorimotor, object permanence 2-6 years: preoperational: remember, pretend play, symbols, speech, egocentric 7-11 years: concrete operational: conservation: which glass holds more water, tall skinny, or short fat. mathematics 12+ years: formal operational: abstract reasoning, think about consequences of potential actions, sophisticated moral reasoning

Hermann Ebbinghous (1850-1909): learning curve, forgetting curve William James (1842-1910): perception, memory, reasoning, attention

Problem Solving Trial and error Algorithm Heuristic

Means-end analysis, big problem -> smaller problems
Working backwards, start with the goal
fixation - getting stuck on a wrong approach
Insight (aha!)

Decision making Decision making heuristics

availability - which is more likely
representativeness - matching prototypes
conjunction fallacy

Biases

overconfidence
belief perseverance - ignore/rationalize disconfirming facts
confirmation bias - seek out only confirming facts

Framing Effects

Semantic networks and spreading activation Semantic networks

nodes connected by links
hierarchy plus polymorphism

Modified Semantic Network

unique to each individual

Intelligence IQ learn from experience solve problems adapt to new situations one general intelligence multiple intelligences

analytic, creative, practical

emotional intelligence fluid vs crystallized Binet: the first IQ test nature vs Nurture, heritability fixed vs growth

Aging and cognitive abilities Stable implicit memory, riding a bike reognition memory, pick it out of a list Improve semantic memory improves until 60 crystallized IQ reasoning in the face of personal and emotionally charged situations Decline recall episodic memory processing speed divided attention

Attention limited resource divided attention selective attention

exogenous, external
endogenous, internal

inattentional blindness change blindness

Theories of Selective Attention shadowing task, hear and repeat, undistracted Broadbent: Early Selection theory, sensory register, selective filter, perceptual processes (meaning), other cognitive processes (how to respond) Deutsch & Deutsch: Late Selection theory. move selective filter to the end, after assigning meaning Treisman: attenuation theory, replace early selective filter with attenuator

cognition = thought

Universalism: Thought determines language Piaget: Thought influences language Vygotsky: Language & Thought are independent, developed simultaneously Weak Linguistic Determinism: Language influences thought Whorf: Strong Linguistic Determinism: language determines thought

Theories of Language Development Noam Chomsky: Nativist/Innatist, Language Acquistion Device (LAD), all languages share a universal grammar. Critical period, birth to 8 or 9. The LAD only operates during this critical period. Learning Theory: children not born with anything. All learned through reinforcement. infant learns “mama” reinforced with hugs. Vygotsky: Interactionist: children desire to communicate, motivates them to learn language.

Language and the brain language usually on the left Broca's area, helps us speak, in the frontal lobe. Wernicke's area, helps us understand. In the Temporal Lobe. Arcuate Fasciculus, bundle of nerve fibers, connects Broca's area and Wernickes area. Aphasia - language deficiency Global aphasia - everything broken. Broca's aphasia - means broken or slurred speech. Wernicke's aphasia - speak words that make no sense. Conduction aphasia, related to Arcuate Fasciculus, inability to conduct information between Broca and Wernicke, cannot repeat things even though they understand what's being said. Many other types of aphasia. Inability to write, name things, reading, spelling, grammar, pronunciation, etc.

Brain in general. Big tasks split into small tasks and spread around the brain areas. Neural plasticity = the ability of the brain to move functions around in parts of the brain. Helpful in recovery from stroke and other brain damage.

Corpus Collosum = nerve fibers that connect right and left hemispheres. Cutting the cord was once a treatment for epilepsy, resulting in a split-brain patient. Difficulty naming things. Perceptions in the right brain, cannot be named or dealt with by the language center on the left.

Contra-lateral organization. Sensory and motor activity on the left of the body is processed by the right brain, and vice-versa.

consciousness = awareness of our self and our environment (consciousness = awareness?)