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13: Complementary Cognitive Processes – Learning Concepts

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    Chapter Overview

    In this chapter, we will tackle what seems like a simple topic but is quite complex. Though the module is entitled Learning Concepts, we will discuss several cognitive processes related to the learning of concepts (and other elements of cognitions) and what we do with them to include problem-solving and reasoning and end with a discussion of intelligence. Consider that intelligence reflects what we have learned, whether book knowledge, how to build a kitchen table, a dance routine, language (discussed in Module 12), how to be a better spouse, how to play the guitar, or how we learn best (self-awareness). To get us going though, we will focus on one theory of how cognition develops throughout the life span. We will end with the topic of impediments to learning in the form of intellectual and learning disabilities.

    Learning Objectives
    • Describe the contributions of Jean Piaget to our understanding of cognitive development across the life span.
    • List and describe the elements of cognition and clarify their relationship to learning.
    • Describe how the complimentary cognitive process of problem-solving relates to learning.
    • Describe how the complimentary cognitive process of reasoning relates to learning.
    • Describe how intelligence relates to learning.
    • Outline intellectual and learning disabilities that serve as an impediment to learning.

    • 13.1: Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
      This page covers Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory, focusing on schemas—mental frameworks for organizing knowledge. It outlines four developmental stages: sensorimotor (infants learn through senses), preoperational (symbolic thought and egocentrism), concrete operations (understanding conservation and decentering), and formal operations (abstract thinking). The page emphasizes how children adapt their schemas via assimilation and accommodation at each stage.
    • 13.2: The Elements of Cognition
      This page of the textbook explores cognition, detailing thinking processes like attention, learning, memory, and problem-solving. It outlines four key elements: concepts (mental categories), propositions (relationships between concepts), schemas (organized knowledge networks), and mental images (visual representations). Additionally, it covers formal and natural concepts, types of schemas, and emphasizes the significance of these elements in understanding and predicting behaviors.
    • 13.3: Problem-Solving- When We Seek Solutions
      This page examines problem-solving by defining key concepts and identifying obstacles. It highlights the Gestalt approach to understanding problems, supported by Kohler's research on chimpanzee insights. It discusses functional fixedness using Duncker's candle problem to demonstrate how perspective affects creativity.
    • 13.4: Reasoning- Making Good Decisions, And Learning from Them
      This page explains the differences between deductive and inductive reasoning, emphasizing that deductive reasoning leads to definitive answers, while inductive reasoning is based on observations. It also introduces heuristics, which are mental shortcuts that aid decision-making but can result in errors, such as availability and confirmation biases. Furthermore, reasoning errors like hindsight bias and mental set demonstrate how past experiences can distort judgment and decision-making processes.
    • 13.5: Intelligence — Putting Our Learning to Good Use
      This page defines intelligence, covering problem-solving, language, and adaptability, and contrasts crystallized and fluid intelligence. It details the evolution of intelligence testing through Binet and Terman, introduces Sternberg's triarchic theory and Gardner's multiple intelligences, and defines emotional intelligence (EI), emphasizing its skills and effects on relationships and academic success, distinguishing it from conventional IQ measures.
    • 13.6: Learning Disabilities
      This page covers intellectual disabilities (ID) and learning disorders (LD), detailing their definitions, differences, and treatment strategies. ID focuses on cognitive and adaptive skill deficits, whereas LD involves academic processing challenges despite average cognitive abilities. Treatment includes individualized education plans (IEPs), community support, and targeted interventions.
    • 13.7: Chapter Recap
      This page summarizes a section on learning's cognitive processes, covering 13 modules on cognitive development, problem-solving, reasoning, and intelligence. It addresses challenges such as intellectual and learning disabilities, inviting reflection on the book's discussions.

    This page titled 13: Complementary Cognitive Processes – Learning Concepts is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lee W. Daffin Jr. via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.