Thinking, Problem-Solving, & Decision Making

Cognition

the process of thinking or mentally processing information

Metacognition

the awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes; “thinking about thinking”

Concept

a generalized idea representing a category of related objects or events

Prototype

a mental representation of the idealized form of an object or concept

Schema

an organized and systematic framework for understanding information and solving problems

Assimilation

incorporating new information, experiences, or ideas into existing cognitive structures or belief systems

Accommodation

modifying existing schemas when new information or experiences cannot fit into them

Executive Functions

higher-level cognitive processes that allow individuals to plan, organize, make decisions, manage attention, and control impulses

Algorithm

a learned set of rules or procedures that always leads to the correct solution of a problem

Heuristic

a problem-solving strategy that simplifies decision-making by limiting the number of possible solutions

Representative Heuristic

a rule of thumb for decision-making based on how closely something resembles a typical or stereotypical example of a category

Availability Heuristic

estimating the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples come to mind

Mental Set

a tendency to approach problems using established thought patterns or strategies (rigidity)

Framing

the way information is presented or worded influences decisions and judgments

Gambler’s Fallacy

the mistaken belief that past chance events affect future outcomes, failing to recognize their independence

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

continuing to invest time, money, or effort into something because of past investments, even when it is no longer beneficial

Functional Fixedness

difficulty in problem-solving caused by seeing objects only in their usual or traditional uses

Insight

a sudden and clear realization of a problem’s solution

Confirmation Bias

the tendency to seek out or favor information that supports existing beliefs or hypotheses

Fixation

inability to see a problem from a new perspective, often due to being stuck on one solution or mental set

Intuition

understanding something instinctively without conscious reasoning; a “gut feeling”

Overconfidence

the tendency to overestimate one’s abilities or knowledge and underestimate risks

Belief Perseverance

maintaining beliefs even after they have been proven incorrect by evidence

Creativity

the ability to produce original and useful ideas or solutions

Divergent Thinking

thinking that generates many possible ideas or alternatives

Convergent Thinking

thinking that narrows possibilities toward a single correct solution