Which theory suggests that we interpret vertical lines as horizontal lines extending into the distance?

CHAPTER 5 NOTES: CULTURE AND COGNITION

Cognition: mental processes we use to transform sensory input into knowledge

oFirst processes

Attentionfocusing of our limited capacities of consciousness on a particular

set of stimuli

Sensationthe feelings that result from excitation of the sensory receptors

(touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing)

Perceptionour initial interpretations of the sensations

oAfterward: Thinking and reasoning, language memory, problem solving, decision

making, etc.

Similarities and differences in the way people think

oUniversality in cognitive processes such as hindsight bias and regrets over inaction

vs. action

oDifferences in perception and attention, categorization, some memory tasks, math

abilities, problem solving, factors than enhance creativity, and dialectical thinking

CULTURE AS COGNITION

Many psychologists view culture itself as cognition

oCulture is generally viewed as a set of mental representations about the world

Chapter 1 definition of culture views culture as a knowledge system—one from which

individuals create and derive knowledge about how to live

oKnowledge system is shared, by a group of individuals, and is manifested in

concrete objects, behaviors, and other physical elements of culture (survive more

functionally and effectively)

Cultures themselves are cognitive

oThey are knowledge representations that include specific meanings and

information, translated into norms, opinions, attitudes, values, and beliefs

Humans have certain cognitive skills other animals do not, allowing for

culture

Manifested into overt behaviors and physical elements of culture

Many psychologists believe culture is represented in the human mind

oPeople’s mental models of culture influence their ways of thinking, feeling, and

behaving, and that those mental models can be assessed

Priming: a method used to determine one stimulus affects another

CULTURE, ATTENTION, SENSATION, AND PERCEPTION

Perception and Physical Reality

People’s perceptions of the world do not necessarily match the physical realities of the

world

Blind spot: a spot in our visual field where the optic nerve goes through the layer of

receptor cells on its way back toward the brain, creating a lack of sensory receptors in the

eye at that location

oThere is no blind spot in our conscious perception

oMicrosaccades: micro eye movements that help our brains fill in scenes so it looks

like we see everything

Experiment: Hot, lukewarm, and cold waterTemp. doesn’t change when we switch, it’s

our perception

Cultural Influences on Visual Perception



Optical Illusions: perceptions that involve an apparent discrepancy between how an object

looks and what it actually is

oMuch of what we know about cultural influences on perception comes from cross-

cultural research on visual perception

oMueller-Lyer illusionhorizontal-vertical illusion Ponzo Illusion

Is a method used to determine if one stimulus affects another?

Which of the following is true of social orientation hypothesis?

Which term refers to the manner in which people group things together it is one of the basic mental processes?

Which of the following suggests that we remember things better if they are either the first or last item in a list of things to remember?