CLASS PREVIEW

• WHAT AM I LEARNING TODAY?

*Define cognition, and explain the functions of concepts.

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• WHAT AM I DOING TODAY?

*Continue Unit 2a (“Thinking, Problem Solving, Judgments, and Decision Making: Concepts and Creativity” (M 2.2a))

AP PSYCHOLOGY DAY 24

UNIT 2: COGNITION

STARTER

• Are you creative? Let’s see!

UNIT 2: COGNITION

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• Concepts:

*Cognition (“thinking”) includes all the mental activities associated with processing, understanding, remembering, & communicating

-One of these activities is metacognition, the cognition about our cognition; keeping track of and evaluating our mental processes

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-Cognitive psychologists study the logical & illogical ways in which we create concepts, solve problems, make decisions, & form judgments

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*At a basic level, we form concepts (a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people); ex. FRESHMAN!!!

-Concepts simplify our thinking by providing us with adequate information without much cognitive effort; ex. “Throw the ball” (?)

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-We often form our concepts by developing prototypes (a mental image or best example of a category)

**Matching new items to a prototype provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories; ex. a robin may be a better prototype for a bird than a penguin (?)

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**When a new item fails to match our prototype, we are slower to perceive and react; ex. male prejudice against females vs. female prejudice against males

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UNIT 2: COGNITION

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• Concepts (Continued):

*Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget argued that our intellectual progression reflects an unceasing struggle to make sense of our experiences

-Maturing brains build schemas, a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

**First, we assimilate (interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing experiences) new experiences

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**Second, as we interact with the world, we accommodate (adapting our current schemas (understandings) to incorporate new information) our schemas

UNIT 2: COGNITION

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• Thinking Creatively:

*Creativity is the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

-Creative thinkers possess divergent thinking (expanding the number of possible solutions; creative thinking that diverges in different directions)

**Divergent thinking increases a person's ability to overcome obstacles like functional fixedness (when our prior experiences inhibit our ability to find creative solutions)

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-Convergent thinking (narrowing the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution) is used in traditional tests in which there is only one correct answer; ex. the SAT

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*According to Robert Sternberg (?), there are 5 components of creativity:

1. Expertise→ well-developed base of knowledge

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2. Imaginative thinking skills→ provide the ability to see things in novel ways, to recognize patterns, and to make connections

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3. A venturesome personality→ seeks new experiences, tolerates ambiguity and risk, and perseveres in overcoming obstacles

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4. Intrinsic motivation→ being driven more by interest, satisfaction, and challenge than by external pressures

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5. A creative environment→ sparks, supports, and refines creative ideas

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UNIT 2: COGNITION

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• Exit Ticket:

*Complete the DAY 24 EXIT TICKET assignment posted to the Google Classroom!!!

UNIT 2: COGNITION

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• NEXT TIME:

*Continue Unit 2a (“Thinking, Problem Solving, Judgments, and Decision Making: Solving Problems and Making Decisions” (M 2.2b))

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• HOMEWORK:

*NONE!!!