Cognitive Concepts and Heuristics

Flashcards covering key cognitive concepts and heuristics related to thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Schema

A cognitive framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information.

Creativity

The ability to generate, create, or discover new ideas or solutions.

Stroboscopic Movement

An optical illusion in which multiple discrete images are perceived as a continuous movement.

Prototype

A mental image or best example of a category.

A child sees a cat for the first time and calls it a 'doggy' because their existing 'dog' schema includes furry, four-legged animals. What cognitive process is this an example of?

Assimilation

Convergent Thinking

The cognitive process of bringing together information to find a single best solution.

Robert Sternberg

Psychologist known for his theories on intelligence and creativity, particularly the triarchic theory.

Executive Functions

Cognitive processes that regulate other cognitive processes, including working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.

You are trying to decide which route to take to work and quickly choose the one you typically use because it's usually faster, without checking traffic. What mental shortcut did you use?

Heuristic

Mental Set

A tendency to approach situations in a certain way because that method has worked in the past.

Jean Piaget

Developmental psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development in children.

After being corrected that the furry, four-legged animal is a 'cat' and not a 'doggy,' the child creates a new schema for 'cats' or modifies their 'dog' schema to be more specific. What cognitive process is this an example of?

Accommodation

Divergent Thinking

A thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions.

Algorithm

A step-by-step procedure or formula for solving a problem.

You need to tighten a loose screw but only have a butter knife. You don't consider using its flat edge as a screwdriver because you only see it as a utensil. What cognitive bias is illustrated here?

Functional Fixedness

Someone believes that a certain political party is always wrong. When they read news articles, they only pay attention to information that criticizes that party and ignore any positive news about them. What cognitive bias are they demonstrating?

Confirmation Bias

Representativeness Heuristic

A mental shortcut that relies on the similarity of objects or events to make judgments.

Priming

The activation of certain associations in memory just before carrying out a task.

Framing

The way information is presented to influence perceptions and decisions.

After seeing several news reports about plane crashes, you estimate that air travel is more dangerous than driving, even though statistics show the opposite. What mental shortcut is influencing your judgment?

Availability Heuristic

Gambler's Fallacy

The belief that future probabilities are altered by past events in random activities.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to hold on to one's beliefs even in the face of contradictory evidence.

Overconfidence

A cognitive bias that causes a person to overestimate their abilities or the precision of their knowledge.

You've paid for a non-refundable concert ticket and despite feeling very ill on the day of the concert, you decide to

The fallacy of continuing a venture based on previously invested resources (time, money, effort) rather than on future value.