Thinking

Thinking

Thinking

A process involving knowing, understanding, remembering, and communicating.

Metacognition

Thinking about thinking; awareness of one's own thought processes.

Executive Functions

Mental processes that manage tasks, help make decisions, and brainstorm solutions to problems.

Concepts

Mental groupings of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.

Category Hierarchies

Structures used to form concepts, often based on definitions and prototypes.

Problem Solving Strategies

Methods to solve problems, including trial and error, algorithms, heuristics, and insight.

Algorithm

A step-by-step procedure that exhaustively explores all possibilities before finding a solution.

Heuristics

Simple thinking strategies for making judgments and solving problems efficiently.

Representative Heuristic

Judging the likelihood of events based on how closely they match a prototype.

Availability Heuristic

Judging based on how easily information can be retrieved from memory.

Insight

A sudden realization of a solution to a problem; often called the 'aha!' moment.

Convergent Thinking

Focusing on finding a single, correct solution using logic.

Functional Fixedness

A cognitive bias limiting a person to using an object only in its traditional way.

Divergent Thinking

Creative thinking that generates multiple answers to a problem.

Assimilation

Fitting new experiences into existing cognitive schemas without significant alteration.

Accommodation

Modifying existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information.

Cognitive Bias

Systematic errors in thinking affecting decision-making and judgment.

Gambler's Fallacy

The belief that previous outcomes of a random event affect future outcomes.

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Making decisions based on past investments instead of future value.

Dual-Process Theory

The theory that distinguishes between fast, intuitive decision-making and slow, deliberate reasoning.

Prospect Theory

Explains decision-making under uncertainty, focusing on the heavier weight given to potential gains.

Bounded Rationality

The concept that humans aim for 'good enough' solutions based on limited information.

Priming

Exposure to one stimulus influences the response to a subsequent stimulus.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek out information that supports one's existing beliefs.

Overconfidence

The tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one's own beliefs and judgments.

Framing

The way information is presented that affects decisions and perceptions.

Belief Perseverance Phenomenon

Clinging to beliefs despite contrary evidence.