Behaviour & Environment 3: Cognition, Attitude and Motivation
Lecture 1: Thinking before doing
Mental representations: mental content of mental operation refers to something in the world
(Payne & Cameron, 2014)
We do not experience the world as raw data…what we experience has already acquired
meaning before we become conscious of it.
Function of mental representations:
> classification
> additional attributes
> steering attention and interpretation
> communication
> thinking
Activation of mental representations: accessibility can be defined as the activation potential of
available knowledge…it is capable of being activated (and then used) but exists in a latent
rather than in an active state. (Higgins)
Accessible concepts
- are retrieved easily from memory
- have a stronger influence on attention, judgement and behaviour
When watching something about makeup,
the words corresponding to “female”
(blue), are responded to faster. When
watching something about Asia, the words
corresponding to “Chinese” (red) are
responded to faster.
Availability: refers to availability in memory by which the concept can be potentially used in
information processing.
Accessibility: refers to the ‘readiness’ of the concept to be used for information processing at
a specific moment
Whether you have knowledge about something and whether you are accessing the knowledge
at the moment.
, 5 ways in which information can be presented:
1. Associative network models
Spreading activation: when a node (eg. Coffee) gets activation (by means of perception),
associated nodes in the associative network (energy, tasty) will also be activated. Activation is
facilitated and faster via pathways that represent strong associations. Whenever a node is
sufficiently triggered, it will activate other nodes and so on.
2. Schemas
Related to predicting = expecting that a coffee will give you energy and be tasty.
Predictive coding approach:
a) Bayesian processes: prior influence
b) Posterior: comparison between perception and prior
You have a prior prediction and get sensory input. This might change your posterior
prediction or reaffirm it.
3. Connectionist models
Parallel distribution processing: concept exists by means of the dynamic interplay of
distributed elements.
4. Multiple format models
Amodio (2008):
- affective memory system
- semantic memory system
- procedural memory system (procedure of making your own coffee)
5. Embodied cognition
Knowledge is stored in senso-motoric modalities “in the body”
Partial re-experience (when you think of coffee, although there is none around. You then also
think about what you feel, see, taste, etc.)
“Four horsemen” of automaticity
1. Level of consciousness
2. Level of intentionality //sometimes we do things that we did not intend to do
Lecture 1: Thinking before doing
Mental representations: mental content of mental operation refers to something in the world
(Payne & Cameron, 2014)
We do not experience the world as raw data…what we experience has already acquired
meaning before we become conscious of it.
Function of mental representations:
> classification
> additional attributes
> steering attention and interpretation
> communication
> thinking
Activation of mental representations: accessibility can be defined as the activation potential of
available knowledge…it is capable of being activated (and then used) but exists in a latent
rather than in an active state. (Higgins)
Accessible concepts
- are retrieved easily from memory
- have a stronger influence on attention, judgement and behaviour
When watching something about makeup,
the words corresponding to “female”
(blue), are responded to faster. When
watching something about Asia, the words
corresponding to “Chinese” (red) are
responded to faster.
Availability: refers to availability in memory by which the concept can be potentially used in
information processing.
Accessibility: refers to the ‘readiness’ of the concept to be used for information processing at
a specific moment
Whether you have knowledge about something and whether you are accessing the knowledge
at the moment.
, 5 ways in which information can be presented:
1. Associative network models
Spreading activation: when a node (eg. Coffee) gets activation (by means of perception),
associated nodes in the associative network (energy, tasty) will also be activated. Activation is
facilitated and faster via pathways that represent strong associations. Whenever a node is
sufficiently triggered, it will activate other nodes and so on.
2. Schemas
Related to predicting = expecting that a coffee will give you energy and be tasty.
Predictive coding approach:
a) Bayesian processes: prior influence
b) Posterior: comparison between perception and prior
You have a prior prediction and get sensory input. This might change your posterior
prediction or reaffirm it.
3. Connectionist models
Parallel distribution processing: concept exists by means of the dynamic interplay of
distributed elements.
4. Multiple format models
Amodio (2008):
- affective memory system
- semantic memory system
- procedural memory system (procedure of making your own coffee)
5. Embodied cognition
Knowledge is stored in senso-motoric modalities “in the body”
Partial re-experience (when you think of coffee, although there is none around. You then also
think about what you feel, see, taste, etc.)
“Four horsemen” of automaticity
1. Level of consciousness
2. Level of intentionality //sometimes we do things that we did not intend to do
