UNFOLDING THE MENTAL

SELF
Prepared by: KRISTA CAMILLE C. DE CELIS
 COGNITION

 mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension which include thinking, knowing,
remembering, judging, and problem-solving

 higher-level functions of the brain which encompass language, imagination, perception, and planning

 crucial part of an individual’s development process which influences behavior, just as how behavior also
impacts it, assuming bi-directional connection

 the way information is taken in and how it is analyzed and processed is a function of human cognition

 people are born with innate capabilities that empower them to manage themselves in various settings and
situations.
 COGNITION

 attention: allows people to focus on a specific stimulus in the environment

 language: ability to understand and express thoughts through spoken and written words which allows us
to communicate with others and plays an important role in thought

 learning: taking in new things, synthesizing information, and integrating it with prior knowledge

 memory: ability to encode, store, and retrieve information which is critical in the learning process and
allows people to retain knowledge about the world and their personal histories

 perception: ability to take in information through the senses (sensation) and then utilize this information
to respond and interact with the world

 thought: ability to engage in decision-making, problem-solving, and higher reasoning

COGNITION

 learning new things

 forming memories
 making decisions
 perceiving the world
 forming impressions
 filling in the gaps
 interacting with the world
 MEMORY

 processes that are used to acquire, store, retain, and

later retrieve information

 involves the ability to both preserve and recover

information we have learned or experienced

 involves three major processes: encoding, storage, and

retrieval
 THE MEMORY PROCESS
 encoding
 process of receiving, processing, and combining
information
 allows information from the outside world to reach our
senses in the forms of chemical and physical stimuli

 storage
 creation of a permanent record of the encoded information
 process in which we maintain information over periods of
time

 retrieval
 calling back of stored information in response to some cue
for use in a process or activity
 ability to locate information and return it to consciousness
 THE MEMORY PROCESS

 sensory memory
 allows individuals to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimulus has ceased
 not involved in higher cognitive functions like short- and long-term memory
 not consciously controlled
 provide a detailed representation of our entire sensory experience

 short-term memory
 working memory
 holds only a few items (research shows a range of 7 +/- 2 items)
 lasts for about 20 seconds

 long-term memory
 relatively lasting memory
 storage of information over an extended period
 often outside of the conscious mind
INTELLIGENCE

 capacity for understanding, learning, planning, and problem

solving with logic, creativity, and self-awareness

 mental quality that consists of the abilities to learn from

experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle
abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one’s
environment

 first studied by Sir Francis Galton in the late 1800’s

THEORIES OF INTELLIGENCE

explain the nature of intelligence, and the

personal and environmental factors that shape it
 THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

 proposed by Harvard psychologist

Howard Gardner

 suggests that traditional psychometric

views of intelligence are too limited

 first outlined in his book Frames of

Mind: The Theory of Multiple
Intelligences

 suggested that all people have

different kinds of "intelligences"
 THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

 proposed by Harvard psychologist

Howard Gardner

 suggests that traditional psychometric

views of intelligence are too limited

 first outlined in his book Frames of

Mind: The Theory of Multiple
Intelligences

 suggested that all people have

different kinds of "intelligences"
 Triarchic Theory of
Intelligence
 analytical intelligence
 also referred to as componential intelligence
 intelligence that is applied to analyze or evaluate problems and arrive at solutions
 what a traditional IQ test measures.

 creative intelligence
 ability to go beyond what is given to create novel and interesting ideas
 involves imagination, innovation and problem-solving.

 practical intelligence
 ability to successfully interact with the everyday world
 ability that individuals use to solve problems faced in daily life
 adapting to the demands environment involves either utilizing knowledge gained from experience to
purposefully change oneself to suit the environment (adaptation), changing the environment to suit
oneself (shaping), or finding a new environment in which to work (selection)
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
HUMAN LEARNING
 LEARNING

 relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge

or behavior as a result of experience

1. The change is long-term

2. The source of change comes from within the external structures of
memory or knowledge of the individual.
3. The change is attributed to the personal experiences of the learner in
his/her environment.
 SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY

attention: when an individual focuses on information that he/she

perceives to be interesting and useful

retention: stores and gives a mental representation of the

information

reproduction: recalls and rehearses the information given

motivation: repeats the entire process constantly and

consistently
LEARNING

Learning happens even beyond the classroom; it

happens in daily situations. According to the social
cognitive theory, there is an interaction of personal
(cognition, personality, motivational, orientation),
environmental (family, schools and other settings,
peers and social relationships), and behavioral factors
(feedback and consequence) that accounts for
behavioral change.
 LEARNING

The notion of learning is underlined by notions of self-efficacy and human agency. Self-
efficacy is defined as the extent to which people believe that they can confidently learn and
master a particular skill.

According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy can be developed through the following:

 mastery experience: accomplishing simple tasks that lead to more complex tasks
 social modelling: bserving an identifiable model who accomplishes the task
 improving physical and emotional states: being relaxed and calm before pursuing a
challenging task
 verbal persuasion: providing encouragement and feedback during the accomplishment of
a challenging task
HUMAN AGENCY
LEARNING

Thus, in the learning process, students are equally accountable

for their performance as much as their teachers. While teachers
are considered agents of motivating the learning process, students
have the responsibility to be equally involved as well. It is in this
perspective that students are considered agents of their own
learning, and they are expected to invest in their own learning,
and they are expected to invest in their own learning process.
 LEARNING

This leads to the question of how much of an investment should students make
in the learning process. There are 2 strategies in learning that students can use:

 surface learning: students simply accept information presented to them and

memorize them in an isolated and unlinked manner.

 deep learning: the deeper understanding of information by creating

significant meaningful links across different concepts and how it can be
applied in practical ways.
LEARNING

To adopt deep learning strategies, students can engage in the

following habits:

 taking notes
 asking questions during class sessions
 creating cognitive maps
 engaging in collaborative learning activities with mentors and
peers
 going beyond the mandatory course requirements