2.2 - Thinking, Problem-Solving, Judgements, and Decision-Making

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to cognition, creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making based on the lecture notes.

Cognition

All mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, understanding, remembering, and communicating.

Concepts

The mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people that simplify thinking.

Schemas

Categories or frameworks that help organize and interpret information.

Prototype

The ideal example of a category, such as a robin being a better prototype of a bird than a penguin.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new experiences into our current understanding (schema).

Accommodation

The process of adjusting a schema and modifying it.

Creativity

The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas.

Divergent Thinking

Expands the number of possible problem solutions.

Convergent Thinking

Narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution.

Heuristics

Simple thinking strategies that allow us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently.

Algorithms

Methodical, logical rules or procedures that guarantee solving a particular problem.

Functional Fixedness

A cognitive bias that limits a person to use an object only in the way it is traditionally used.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging the likelihood of things based on how well they seem to represent a particular prototype.

Availability Heuristic

Estimating the likelihood of events based on how mentally available they are.

Framing Effect

The way an issue is presented that affects decisions and judgments.

mental set

tendency to approach a problem in one particular way

priming

activation of certain associations, predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

gambler’s fallacy

unconsciously using representativeness heuristic when judging likelihood of certain events

sunk cost fallacy