Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Introduction: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence277>> Introduction:Thinking, Language, and IntelligenceKey Theme• Thinking is a broad term that refers to how we use knowledge to analyzesituations, solve problems, and make decisions.Key Questions• What are some of the basic characteristics of mental images?• How do we manipulate mental images?• What are concepts, and how are they formed?cognitionThe mental activities involved in acquiring,retaining, and using knowledge.thinkingThe manipulation of mental representationsof information in order to draw inferencesand conclusions.mental imageA mental representation of objects orevents that are not physically present.Cognition is a general term that refers to the mental activities involved in acquiring,retaining, and using knowledge. In previous chapters, we’ve looked at fundamentalcognitive processes such as perception, learning, and memory. These processes arecritical in order for us to acquire and retain new knowledge.In this chapter, we will focus on how we use that knowledge to analyze situations,solve problems, make decisions, and use language. As you’ll see, such cognitive abilitiesare widely regarded as key dimensions of intelligence—a concept that we willalso explore.The Building Blocks of ThoughtMental Imagery and ConceptsIn the most general sense, thinking is involved in all conscious mental activity,whether it is acquiring new knowledge, remembering, planning ahead, or daydreaming.More narrowly, we can say that thinking involves manipulating mentalrepresentations of information in order to draw inferences and conclusions.Thinking, then, involves active mental processes and is often directed toward somegoal, purpose, or conclusion.What exactly is it that we think with? Thinking often involves the manipulationof two forms of mental representations: mental images and concepts. We’ll look firstat mental images.Mental ImagesWhen you read the Prologue, did you form a mental image of the view from the deckof a cabin perched above a river valley? Or of a steep hiking trail, lined with wildflowersand butterflies? Or Sandy and Tom sitting in front of their computers and exchanginginstant messages? The stories we tell in our prologues typically lend themselves tothe creation of mental images. Formally, a mental image is a mental representation ofobjects or events that are not physically present.We often rely on mental images to accomplish some cognitive task. For example,try reciting the letters of the alphabet that consist of only curved lines. To accomplishthis task, you have to mentally visualize and then inspect an image of eachletter of the alphabet.Note that mental imagery is not strictly limited to visual “pictures.” Most peopleare able to form images that involve senses other than vision (Cattaneo & Vecchi,2008; Djordjevic & others, 2004). For example, you can probably easily create amental representation for the taste of a chocolate milk shake, the smell of freshlypopped popcorn, or the feel of wet clothing sticking to your skin. Nonetheless,most research on mental images has looked at how we manipulate visual images,and we’ll focus on visual images in our discussion here.Thinking What types of cognitive activitiesmight be required in planning and implementinga complex bridge repair? Drawingon existing knowledge, analyzing newinformation, and making decisions abouthow best to proceed would all be involved.Success would involve the ability toform mental images, effectively solveproblems, and make good decisions.