Psychology in your life; Chapter 8

Thinking

The mental manipulation of representations of information we encounter in our environments

Analogical Representations

Mental representations that have some of the physical characteristics of objects

Symbolic Representations

Abstract mental representations that consist of words or ideas

Mental Maps

Include a combination of analogical and symbolic representations

Concept

A mental representations of objects, event, or relations organized around common themes

Prototype Model

A way of thinking about concepts. Withing each category, there is a best example or that category

Exemplar Model

A way of thinking about concepts. All concepts in a category are examples; together, they form the category

stereotypes

Cognitive schemas that allow for easy fast processing of information about people, events, or groups, based on their membership in certain groups

Reasoning

Using information to determine if a conclusion is valid or reasonable

Decision Making

Attempting to select the best alternative among several options

Problem Solving

Finding a way around an obstacle to reach a goal

Algorithm

A set of procedures to follow when thinking and making a decision

Heuristic

A shortcut (rule of thumb or informal guideline) used to reduce the amount of thinking that is needed to make decisions

Available Heuristic

the tendency to make a decision based on information that comes most easily to mind

Representativeness Heuristic

The tendency to place people or objects in a category if they are similar to the concept that is the prototype.

Framing

How information is presented affects how that information is perceived and influences decisions

Sudden Insight

The metaphorical light bulb that goes on in your head when you realize the solution to a problem

Restructuring

Thinking about a problem in a new way in order to solve it

Mental Sets

A tendency to approach a problem in the same way that has worked in the past, which way make it harder to solve

Functional Fixedness

A tendency to think of things based on the usual functions, which may make it harder to solve a problem

Intelligence

The ability to use knowledge to reason, make decisions, make sense of events, solve problems, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and adapt to environmental challenges

Intelligence Quotient

An index of intelligence originally computed by dividing a child's estimated mental age by the child's chronological age and them multiplying this number by 100