Unit 2: Cognition 2.2

2.2 Thinking & Problem Solving 2.2 B Judgement & Decision Making

Concept

form the basis of thought Mental representation

Prototype

IDEAL example of any concept.

Schemas

A concept or category about the world

Assimilation

The tendency to interpret new experiences in terms of existing schema

Accommodation

Changes in schemas to incorporate information from experiences

Algorithm

Every possible option. Solution guaranteed

Heuristic

Shortcut. Solution not guaranteed.

Availability Heuristic

A mental shortcut in which judgements are based on information that is most easily brought to mind.

Mental Set

A temporary readiness to perform certain psychological functions that influences the response to a situation or stimulus

Fixation

A preoccupation with a single idea,

impulse, or aim (part of mental set)

Framing

The process of defining the context or issues surrounding a question, a problem, or event in a way that serves to influence how the context or issues are perceived & evaluated.

Priming

A technique in which the introduction of one stimulus influences how people respond to a subsequent stimulus.

Gambler’s Fallacy

the mistaken belief held by some people that independent events are interrelated. (Mental Trap)

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

the tendency to continue a course of action in which one has already invested money, time, or effort.

Executive Functions

cognitive processes that allow individuals to generate, organize, plan, and carry out goal-directed behaviors and experience critical thinking.

Working Memory

Describes the ability to retain and manipulate information over short periods of time

Cognitive Flexibility

Capacity to shift attention between different tasks or perspectives flexibly. It enables us to adapt self-control that enables a person to quickly when situations change

Inhibitory Control

self-control that enables a person to quickly when situations set priorities, resist impulsive actions, and delay gratification.

Convergent Thinking

Critical thinking in which an individual uses linear, logical steps to analyze a number of already formulated solutions to a problem to determine the correct one or the one that is most likely to be successful.

Divergent Thinking

Creative thinking in which an individual solves a problem or reaches a decision using strategies that deviate from commonly used or previously taught strategies.

Functional Fixedness

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