PSYC 205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Umbilical Cord, Process Function, Exaptation
3 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Cognition- knowledge or thinking; how animals acquire, store, and process information: the mental processes used to perceive, remember, think, and understand and the act of using these processes. Comparative cognition- examines and compares cognition among animal species, including humans. Why study compartive cognition: research helps us understand how certain cognitive processes evolved. How does a particular cognitive process function in a particular environment: research can demonstrate what may be unique about human thinking. What makes us human: relatedly, research can demonstrate what is possible with and without human didactic parenting and culture, research can help us to understand other species for their own sake. Animal behaviour and cognition research informs policies regarding conservation and ethical practices. Hallmarks of comparative cognition: examination of cognitive processes, experimental procedures, evolutionary framework. Cognitive abilities emerge through the same evolutionary process that shapes physiological traits.
