Ch 10 Cognition, Language, and Creativity
How doe we think?
How are we able to solve problems?
Thinking, Problem Solving, Creativity…
Language is powerful to encode information
Animals- are capable of rudimentary language use, but only with aides of human
intervention.
Language is primarily a human characteristic.
Problem solving = acquired knowledge + strategies
Creative thinking is novel, new, and divergent
What is Thinking?
CognitionMentally processing information
Cognitive PsychologyThe study of human processing
Thinking is internal representation of problem or situation (mental expression)
Basic Units of Thought:
Images
Concepts- ideas represented by class of related concepts
Language- words symbols + rules for combining themes
Mental Imagery:
People use visual images
Auditory images
Synesthesia =
Images cross normal sensory barriers
Colors, taste, odors
People use Imagery to:
Decision making and problem solving
Change feelings <thinking>
To Improve skill- prepare of action
To aid memory
Mental Images are 3D
+ Mental rotation – making imagined movements
Minds Eye
 Brain areas where memories are stored
 Send signals back to visual cortex
 Where images are created
Using Mental Images We use stored images –
 Info from memory
 To apply past experiences
 To problem solving
Created Images- created ideas image
Sometimes not remembered
Artists see the image first then it is created
Tests of image ability = high scores on  creativity
Kinesthetic ImageryMuscular sensations
Important in dance, music, sports, dance
Micro-movements= connection between muscle activity + thinking
Concepts- idea that represents a class of objects or events
AbstractConcepts I.D. Features of objects
 Ability to classify into categories
Concepts are learned = Concept Formation
 Process of classifying info into meaningful categories
 Positive instances
 Examples that “are” or make up concept & those that don’t
 Negative instances
Conceptual Rules
Help us decipher – address concept
Order concepts
Types of Concepts
1. Conjunction Concepts –
a. concepts must have 2 or more features (in-conjunction with)
2. Relational Conceptsa. with principal definitions of based on relations examples of sister-brother
below under
3. Disjunctive Concepts
a. Concepts must have one of several possible features
b. “It must have this feature or that feature”
c. Either or qualities
4. Prototypes
a. Ideal models to identify concepts
5. Connotative Meaning
a. Emotional or personal meaning
b. (Ideas about)
6. Denotive Meaning
a. Word definition is exact definition
PrototypesIdeal examples of images
An example that signifies an ideal image
Connotative meanings=
Personal meaning
Understanding
Measured by semantic differential
Qualitative rating based on a scale
Active/Passive
Weak/Strong
Faulty concepts
Or understandings that lead to thinking errors
Social stereotypes- over simplified
Beliefs- concepts of people
One-Dimensional thought
All or nothing
Language
Thinking relies heavily on language
Words encode/translate the world into symbols
SemanticsStudy of meaning of words
Connection between language and thought
Words get meaning from context
Semantics affect thinking when words we use alter meaning
Structure of Language:
PhonemesBasic Speech Sounds
MorphemesSounds with meaning
“Sounds collected into meaningful units”
M, B, W, A cannot form syllables
GrammarSet of rules for making sounds into words + sentences
SyntaxRules for word order
“Man bite’s Dog”
Chomsky
Said- unspoken rules
We use to change ideas into sentences
We apply- transformation rules to universal core patterns
To change Past, Passive, Negative, Question
Language is productive- can generate new thoughts or ideas
Gestures- Gestrual languages (Go through same language supports)
Language is not limited to speech
American Sign Languages
Animal Language
No- only simple messages
“Eagle”
“Food”
Viki the ChimpWashoe- was taught to use sign language
Researchers Gardeners- Batrice and Allen
Used American Sign Language
240 signs
6 word sentences
Sarah- chimp <used magnetic symbols>
Researcher David Premack
Sarah learned to  question, label things, classify, objects, color, size, shape
Criticism- people say it doesn’t work
Operant responses to get food
Fouts said yes they use symbols hold conversations
Patterns + similar conversations like young children.
LexigramsMachine, buttons + symbols – primitive sentences
Kanzi-chimp- pygmy
Rombaugh- found chimps able to produce language based on Lexigrams
Problem SolvingMechanical Solutions
Trial and Error
Rote processing- thinking is guided by learned set of rules
Solving by Understanding- (process)
o
o
o
o
Deeper comprehension of a problem
Discover general prosperities of a solution
General solution identifies the requirements for success
Proposes a series of Functional (workable) Solutions
 Then choose the best one
Heuristics (narrowing the search)
A strategy for identifying and evaluating problem solutions
A rule of thumb that reduces the number of alternatives thinkers must
consider.
Pg 380 is a list of strategies
Random Search StrategyTrial and error
All possibilities are tried randomly
IDEAL Problem Solving:
Best heuristic = have a general thinking strategy
5 steps
1. Identify2. Define- problem clearly (Solving by Understanding)
3. Explore- Possible solutions + relevant knowledge
4. Act- try a possible solution or hypothesis
5. Look (at results) and learn- learn from results
Insightful Solutions (understanding)
Insight = seeing a solution
Rapid and clear info/ideas about a topic
Create insight by reorganizing a problem
See a problem in new ways
See new solutions
Sources of Insight:
1. Selective Encoding
a. Selecting info that is relevant to a problem
b. Ignore distractions
c.
2. Selective Combination
a. Bringing together seemingly unrelated bits of useful information
3. Selective Comparison
a. Ability to compare new problems with old info or with problems
already solved
Fixations
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Barriers to problem solving
Becoming blind to alternatives
Tendency to get hung up on wrong solutions
Caused by unnecessary restrictions on our thinking
Restricted Thinking (not able to think outside of the box) (Group Think)
Functional Fixedness

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Inability to see new uses for familiar objects
o Or
For things we use in a particular way
Barriers to Problem Solving
Mental blocks that prevent insight
Emotional Barriers
Inhibition-fear of making a fool of oneself
Inability to tolerate ambiguityExcessive self criticism
Cultural Barriers
Cultural views prevent creative problem solving
Learned Barriers
Conventions about uses (traditional views)
(Functional fixedness)
Perceptual Barriers
Habits leading to a failure to recognize the possible solutions
Problem identifying elements of a problem
Thinking:
Thinking can be Inductive- specific facts to  general principles
Drawing conclusions from specific examples
Using specific examples to draw conclusions
Thinking can be Deductive- Going from general principles to specific
principles
Starting with a hypothesis (general belief) and testing this using specific
examples
Logical Thinking
Proceeding from given information to new conclusions on the basis of
explicit rules
Conclusions based on formal principles of reasoning
Logic
There is a Sequence of logic
1. Premise (assumption)
2. Conclusion
Syllogism is a logical sequence = premise and conclusion
Syllogism can be evaluated according to Validity of reasoning
= the truth of a conclusion
Both premise and conclusion must be true to have valid logical and true conclusions
Illogical
Thinking that is intuitive, associative, or personal
Creative Thinking:
How does it occur?
How can creativity be promoted?
Includes Inductive= logical
Deductive = illogical
Fluency impacts creative thinking = relates to the total number of
suggestions
Flexibility: number of time you shift from one class of possible uses to
another
Originality: Refers to how novel or unusual the suggestions are
Divergent Thinking: (measure of Creativity)
New answers
Many possibilities are developed from one strategic point
Convergent Thinking
Lines of thought converge on the correct answer
Tests of CreativityUnusual Uses Tests
Person is asked to thinking of as many uses as possible for some object
Consequences Test
Goal to list the consequences that would follow a basic strategy
Anagram Test
Use a word
Find as many new words as possible by rearranging the letters
Products of creative thinking
Lists of people’s past creative activities
Stages of Creative Thought
1. Orientation
Define problem
Identify dimensions
2. Preparations
Collect use as much info as possible
3. Incubation
Time is needed to process and think
4. Illumination
Insight gained “Light Bulb”
5. Verification
Test and critically evaluate the solution
Creative Personality:
Pg 390 Chart creative Characteristics
Pg 390-91 Logic + Intuition
Creative People
1. IQ increase = more intelligence = creativity
2. Lots of knowledge – use metaphors- think in mental images
3. Have an openness to experience
a. Are Un-inhibited about feelings
b. Challenge assumptions
c. Have Vivid dreams
4. Use symbolic thought, ideas, concepts possibilities
a. Truth, form, beauty- not necessarily success, not recognition
b. Creative work is the end in itself
5. value independence
a. Prefer complexity
b. Unconventional- non-conformist, not usually bizarre
People who are creative in an existing field often are building on a large store of existing
knowledge.
Intuition
Is quick impulsive thought that does not make use of clear reasoning
Serial processing
is processing that occurs sequentially. There is an explicit order in which
operations occur and in general the results of one action are known before a next
action is considered.
Parallel Processing
In parallel processing systems, many events may be considered and acted upon
simultaneously. Since a variety of actions may be considered
simultaneously, coherencein behavior is an issue for parallel systems. A parallel system
may be synchronous, in which there is an explicit parallel decision cycle
or asynchronous. In asynchronous systems, there are usually a set of independent
components which act autonomously to one another;