Unit 2.2a-2.2b

Cognition

Cognition

The mental processes involved in acquiring, processing, storing, and using information. It includes activities such as perception, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Metacognition

The awareness and control of one’s own cognitive processes. It involves thinking about thinking and includes strategies for monitoring and regulating mental activities, such as planning, evaluating, and revising problem-solving approaches.

Concept

A mental category used to group similar objects, events, or people.

Prototype

A mental image or best example of a category. It represents an idealized version of a concept and is typically the first example that comes to mind when thinking of that category.

Schema

A cognitive framework or mental structure that helps organize and interpret information. can influence perception, memory, and behavior by providing a mental shortcut for understanding the world.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new information into existing cognitive schemas or frameworks. , we interpret new experiences in terms of our current understanding

Accommodation

The process of adjusting or modifying existing cognitive schemas to incorporate new information that does not fit with current understanding. is essential for adapting to new experiences and learning.

Creativity

The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas or solutions to problems. involves thinking in original ways and often requires flexibility and insight.

Divergent Thinking:

A thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It contrasts with convergent thinking, which focuses on finding a single correct answer.

Convergent Thinking

A thought process that focuses on finding the most effective or correct solution to a problem, often involving logical reasoning and analytical skills.

Functional Fixedness

A cognitive bias that limits a person’s ability to think about objects or concepts in new or unusual ways. It involves viewing an object only in terms of its usual function, which can hinder problem-solving.

Executive Functions

A set of cognitive processes that include planning, decision-making, problem-solving, self-control, and working memory. These functions are typically associated with the prefrontal cortex and help manage complex tasks.

Algorithm

A step-by-step procedure or formula for solving a problem. guarantee a correct solution if followed correctly but may be time-consuming.

Heuristic

A mental shortcut or rule of thumb that allows people to solve problems and make decisions more quickly and efficiently. While faster than algorithms, they do not guarantee an accurate solution.

Insight

A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem. It is typically associated with a "eureka" moment, where the answer comes without conscious reasoning.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, often leading to faulty reasoning and skewed conclusions.

Representativeness Heuristic

A cognitive shortcut used to judge the likelihood of an event by how similar it is to a prototype or stereotype. This can lead to errors in judgment, such as ignoring statistical probability.

Availability Heuristic

A cognitive bias where people judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples come to mind. Events that are more memorable or recent may be perceived as more likely to occur, even if they are rare

Mental Set

The tendency to approach problems in a particular way, often based on past experiences, which may limit creativity and problem-solving ability. can prevent individuals from seeing alternative solutions.

Framing

The way an issue or problem is presented, which can influence decision-making and judgment. Different wordings or presentations can lead people to make different choices, even if the underlying information is the same.

Nudge

A concept in behavioral economics and psychology that involves subtly guiding people toward making decisions that are in their best interest, without restricting their freedom of choice.

Gambler’s Fallacy

The belief that past events in a random sequence affect the probabilities of future events. For example, assuming that after several losses, a win is "due" in a game of chance, even though each event is independent.

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

The tendency to continue investing in a decision or project based on the amount of resources (time, money, effort) already invested, rather than considering the future benefits or costs. This can lead to irrational decision-making.

Fixation

The inability to view a problem from a new perspective, often because of mental set or functional fixedness. can prevent problem-solvers from finding novel or creative solutions.

Intuition

The ability to make quick, automatic judgments or decisions without conscious reasoning. It is based on experience and pattern recognition, but can sometimes lead to biased or inaccurate conclusions.

Overconfidence

The tendency to overestimate one’s knowledge, abilities, or the accuracy of one’s judgments. can lead to errors in decision-making and poor assessments of risks.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to cling to one’s initial beliefs, even in the face of evidence that contradicts those beliefs. This cognitive bias can lead people to dismiss or rationalize information that challenges their views.