thinking lec 1

thinking

Mental activity that involves working with mental representations, planning and executing behaviours, and the coordination of
cognitive resources

Types of cognitive processes

• Conscious, effortful (e.g., chess).
• Intuitive, procedural (e.g., video games).

Gestalt Approach

The mind is not a “blank slate” but is designed to process information and deal with representations.

Processed information and representations are the objects of study in the psychology of thinking.

Productive thinking and reproductive thinking (Wertheimer, 1959).

Productive Thinking

is solving a problem with an insight.

Reproductive thinking

problem-solving by remembered examples and remembered rules.

Mental Representations

A stable state of activation within a cognitive/neural system that corresponds to an event, object, or idea.

My ___ of cats consists of memories and images of my own cat, knowledge about where cats come from, and feelings of affection, and likely these are all activated when I think of cats.

Fast and slow (Dual Process Account)

Challenges to the thinking process

multitasking, incomplete evidence, brain rot

cognitive offloading

the phenomenon of using technology to take on some of the
functions of human cognition.

The dual process theory

The dual process theory assumes that there are two cognitive and neuropsychological systems that underlie the thinking process.

system 1 and 2

differ in terms of evolution

1. System 1:

   • Fast, automatic, and intuitive.

   • Relies on heuristics (mental shortcuts).

   • Operates unconsciously with minimal effort.

   • Example: Recognizing a face or making a snap judgment.

2. System 2:

   • Slow, deliberate, and analytical.

   • Requires conscious effort and attention.

   • Used for complex decision-making or problem-solving.

   • Example: Solving a math problem or planning a trip.

• Applications:

  • Helps explain biases (e.g., over-reliance on System 1).

  • Provides insight into decision-making, reasoning, and learning processes.

  • Central to fields like cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, and education.