EMERGENCY! NEED HELP NOW!! Psychology Assignment IV & V

PSY 1010, General Psychology 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

5. Explain basic cognitive functions. 5.1 Identify some methods that people use to solve problems and make decisions. 5.2 Summarize a theory of intelligence. 5.3 Explain how early childhood language develops.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

5.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 7 Experiment: Mental Rotation Unit V Assessment

5.2

Unit Lesson Chapter 7 Video: In the Real World: Intelligence Tests and Stereotypes Video: Thinking Like a Psychologist: Intelligence Tests and Success Unit V Assessment

5.3 Unit Lesson Chapter 7 Unit V Assessment

Reading Assignment Chapter 7: Cognition: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language A link to Chapter 7 of the eTextbook is provided in the Required Reading area of Unit V in Blackboard. View the following eight videos in MyPsychLab. You can access the videos by clicking the links provided in the Unit V Required Reading area of Blackboard. (You must be logged into Blackboard in order to access any MyPsychLab features.)

 Simulate the Experiment: Mental Rotation

 In the Real World: Intelligence Tests and Stereotypes

 Thinking Like a Psychologist: Intelligence Tests and Success

 Cognition

 The Basics: Theories of Intelligence

 Language Development

 What’s In It For Me?: How Resilient Are You?

 What’s In It For Me?: Making Choices

UNIT V STUDY GUIDE

Cognition: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language

PSY 1010, General Psychology 2

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Unit Lesson

Quite frequently, thoughts that we proactively seek to avoid wind up plaguing our conscious thoughts beyond relief. Did you realize those unwanted thoughts can make peace and mental tranquility a seemingly elusive goal? As a matter of fact, Wegner (1988) explained that the dilemma we face is not actually rooted in our consciousness. No, trouble surfaces when we seek to suppress those thoughts. When you attempt to repress a particular thought, you actually begin to focus on it even more. For example, if I told you stop thinking about an orange basketball, could you do it? Try it. Do not think about a round, orange basketball. Now quickly, what are you thinking about? Is it the orange basketball? As you explore this unit, you will gain more insight into mental manipulation. Start to think about how you categorize various objects around you. Do you believe all of your thoughts are conscious ones? Could you be thinking about something without really being aware of such? Are you a rational thinker? How often are you influenced by your gut instincts as you attempt to make a huge decision in your life? Within this unit’s chapter readings, Ciccarelli and White (2017) discuss our ability to make rational decisions. In fact, we are always thinking or processing mental information; however, we have two major types of thinking. The first system of thinking relates to our ability to formulate quick decisions? What do you want to eat for lunch? This decision is made quite likely by your personal experiences and your innate desires. On the other hand, some thinking requires more complex and analytical processing. We might even think of certain rules to help shape this thinking. This system of thought is tied to our formal educational training. Overall, we use a combination of the two systems to govern our thinking. Is Rational Thinking an Inherited Trait? Have you ever just had a negative, gnawing feeling about someone but you just did not understand why? From where did these feelings surface? Do you think they were inherited? Let’s go back to the previous question that was posed. Are you a rational thinker? According to Brown (1997), a study was conducted in London, England, that purports that daughters quite frequently inherit their intuition from their dads. The featured research examined respondents’ ability to recognize adequate social behaviors while also examining their ability to decode nonverbal cues. The study had 88 families to participate. These families were unique in the fact that the daughters in the study had been diagnosed with Turner’s syndrome. (This is a genetic condition that describes those who have only an X chromosome.) The parents were told to rate their daughters on numerous measures of social intelligence. It was then ascertained if the single X chromosome had been inherited from the girl’s mother or father. The results of the study were quite baffling. Measures of intuition were worse in the population that had received X chromosomes from the mothers. So what are your thoughts? If you are a woman, do you think your reasoning abilities more closely align with those of your father? If you are a man, what future implications could these research findings mean for your daughters? Take a moment to think how you would rationalize this. Which is better for an infant: cow’s milk or mother’s milk? Although it has been widely established that breast milk is more beneficial for babies than formula when one considers various gastrointestinal issues, more research is present that could reveal additional benefits for mom’s milk over the canned version as well. Stop and think for a minute. Do you believe that

(Hdconnelly, n.d.) (Galimzianova, 2017)

Have you ever sought to drop a few pounds, but you just couldn’t stop thinking about a lunch with a large pizza and big soft drink?

Have you ever heard a song, and your mind instantly flashed

back to an old, sad memory?

PSY 1010, General Psychology 3

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breastfeeding will make your baby smarter? Well, if you said yes, then you are not alone. Some scholars have performed studies in which they argue that certain correlations exist between intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and breastfeeding. In fact, research shared by Der, Batty, and Deary (2006) reported that participants who were breastfed had IQ scores that were 6 or 7 points higher than their non-breastfed counterparts. Many scholars postulate that breastfeeding promotes brain development, which ultimately leads to an increase in cognitive abilities. However, everyone does not agree. On the other side of this controversial subject, some argue that the actual decision to give a baby breast milk could be correlated to other factors that influence intelligence. The mother’s ethnic background, IQ, and socioeconomic status can also guide her decision to breastfeed. These additional confounding variables can directly influence intelligence as well (Der, Batty, & Deary, 2006). Cognition and Intelligence Does your mom have a hard time processing certain thoughts? What about your grandmother? Have you found that she has difficulties with certain cognitive functions? Within this unit, you will learn that difficulties with cognitive processing can often be tied to low levels of estrogen. Although this is seemingly dismal news to grasp, recent advances in estrogen-replacement therapy give more hope in this area. In essence, it has been discovered that elevating one’s estrogen levels can lead to higher mood satisfaction as well. These enhancements can also improve cognitive processing too. So, what do you think? Would your mom be willing to try estrogen therapy if she believes that it could improve her reaction time in certain circumstances? What about your grandmother? Would she try this therapy if it could assist her verbal memory efforts?

What do you really think about a person’s intelligence? Do you think one can truly ascertain or predict college performance based on a single standardized test score such as the one you receive from American College Testing (ACT) or SAT (once known as the Scholastic Achievement Test)? Could test anxiety ever hinder one’s test performance? What about test items that are overwhelmingly biased? (If you have never been outside your small rural state for a family vacation, would it be easy for you to hypothesize a round trip, cross-country summer excursion with your wealthy family if this was a task for you to complete as a test item?) Be sure to explore all of the information on intelligence quite closely. The textbook authors share information on Gardner’s Theory of Intelligence. In essence, Gardner believed that we can possess levels of intelligence in multiple areas. Do you have children? If so, did you realize that your attitude towards higher education can directly impact their academic performance? According to Ciccarelli and White (2017), intelligence involves quite more than we often realize. On the other hand, some individuals face challenges related to intelligence. In fact, IQ tests are often utilized to ascertain if people have mental deficits. Ciccarelli and White (2017) explain that an intellectual disability is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder. To be categorized as such, the person could have a lower IQ score when compared with the mean average of their neurotypical counterparts. Additionally, the person might have adaptive challenges that would make it difficult for him or her to live independently, hold down a job, or

even communicate effectively with others. There are varying levels of intellectual disabilities from very mild to quite profound. For example, some individuals could be non-verbal, easily influenced, and manipulated by others. Additionally, some people might have issues in social situations or possess poor communication tactics. On the other end of the intelligence spectrum is giftedness. These are people who have IQs on the high end of the distribution curve, usually an IQ above 130 points. Ciccarelli and White (2017) share that numerous stigmas have been associated with this group as well. It has been touted that they are socially awkward and physically weak. These erroneous assumptions are just as inaccurate as those that are often associated with people who suffer from intellectual disabilities. One cannot make wide-sweeping generalizations about either group. Furthermore, emotional intelligence focuses on how well one can manage

(Thinglass, 2014)

PSY 1010, General Psychology 4

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his or her emotions and to think effectively while also understanding the feelings of others. So what do you think? Can a person be book smart but not have common sense? Language Finally, as you conclude your exploration of this unit, make sure that you review the information on language development closely. Language is how we combine words to communicate with others. Language not only helps us to communicate with people, but it helps us to externalize our internal thoughts. Ciccarelli and White (2017) explain that grammar encompasses the system of rules that we use to structure our language. As you read this section, you will learn that all languages have basic sounds that we call phonemes. (Did you realize that you were actually born with the ability to decipher phonemes from other languages when you were born but that the ability decreases as you are exposed to one primary language?) You will learn more about morphemes, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics as you read this chapter. For example, have you noticed that you speak to a child using different words than you would to an adult? Additionally, have you observed that your pitch is higher when you talk to a baby and you often repeat yourself? (You are unknowingly helping the infant to develop language by embracing these strategies.) Begin to notice how you communicate with others on a daily basis.

References Brown, D. (1997, June 12). Girls may inherit intuition gene from fathers. Retrieved from

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/06/12/girls-may-inherit-intuition-gene-from- fathers/98099c76-8ffb-42f1-9c38-37f0cd2801d5/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5dc7c11e210a

Ciccarelli, S. K., & White, J. N. (2017). Psychology (5th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson. Der, G., Batty, G. D., & Deary, I. J. (2006). Effect of breast feeding on intelligence in children: Prospective

study, sibling pairs analysis, and meta-analysis. British Medical Journal, 333(7575), 945–948. Galimzianova, L. (2017). Listen to sad music concept, ID 98670461 [Photograph]. Retrieved from

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-listen-to-sad-music-concept-listen-to-sad-music-concept- headphones-sad-smile-image98670461

Hdconnelly. (n.d.). Woman craving junk food, ID 14166795 [Illustration]. Retrieved from

https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-woman-craving-junk-food-image14166795 Iqoncept. (n.d.). What do you think survey poll question, ID 20602105 [Illustration]. Retrieved from

https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-what-do-you-think-survey-poll-question- image20602105

Thinglass. (2014). IQ test today, ID 41924908 [Illustration]. Retrieved from

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-iq-test-today-phrase-written-blackboard-sign-reminder-to- bring-your-brain-image41924908

How would life be different if we didn’t have language?

(Iqoncept, n.d.)

PSY 1010, General Psychology 5

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Wegner, D. M. (1988). Stress and mental control. In S. Fisher & J. Reason (Eds.), Handbook of life stress, cognition, and health (pp. 685–699). Chichester, England: Wiley.

Suggested Reading For a review of this unit’s concepts, you are encouraged to view the PowerPoint presentation for the chapter reading by clicking on either of the links provided below. Click here for the Chapter 7 PowerPoint Presentation. Click here for a PDF of the presentation.

Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. In the Nongraded Learning Activities area of Unit V in Blackboard, you will find MyPsychLab links to access the following resources. They can help you to assess your understanding of this unit’s concepts.

 Study the Flashcards: Chapter 7

 Test Yourself: Chapter 7: On pages 308–309 of the eTextbook, there is a Test Yourself section. You can take the quiz to assess your understanding of the chapter material.