Ap Psych- Cognition and Problem Solving

metacognition

thinking about your own thinking. Increases learning, problem solving ability

cognition

the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

executive functions

higher-level cognitive processes that enable self-regulation, decision-making, and goal-directed behavior.

examples of executive functions

Tasks like planning, organizing, and managing time effectively to achieve specific goals.

concepts

broad ideas or general notions that form the basis for understanding and reasoning, often used to categorize and interpret information.

schema 

a mental framework that organizes and interprets information, helping individuals understand the world and make sense of new experiences.

assimilation

the process of integrating new information into existing schemas or frameworks, allowing for a better understanding of the world.

accommodation

the process of adjusting existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information, allowing for a more accurate understanding of the world.

prototypes

Mental representations of the typical characteristics of a category, used to classify new objects or concepts.

trial and error learning

is a problem-solving method involving repeated attempts until successful outcomes are achieved, often through learning from mistakes.

algorithms

step-by-step procedures or formulas for solving problems, which guarantee a correct solution if followed correctly.

weakness of algorithms

They can be time-consuming and may not always be practical for complex problems, requiring significant computational resources.

strength of of algorithms

Algorithms are efficient and reliable methods for problem-solving that provide consistent results when applied correctly.

mnemonics

techniques used to aid memory retention and recall.

Heuristics

approaches or strategies that simplify decision-making and problem-solving, often by using practical methods rather than strict algorithms.

Quick Judgements 

A cognitive shortcut that allows individuals to make decisions rapidly based on limited information or prior experiences.

Mental shortcut

that helps individuals make quick decisions without thorough analysis, often relying on existing knowledge or heuristics.

how are heuristics developed with experience 

Heuristics are developed through repeated experiences and learning, allowing individuals to form efficient cognitive shortcuts based on past decisions and outcomes.

strength of heuristics

Heuristics can improve decision-making speed and efficiency, but may also lead to systematic biases or errors.

weakness of heuristics

Heuristics can result in flawed judgments and decisions due to oversimplification, potentially leading to biases and inaccuracies.

representativeness Heuristic

A cognitive shortcut that involves making judgments about the probability of an event based on how closely it resembles a typical case or prototype, potentially leading to errors in reasoning. Type of stereotype.

Availability Heuristic

A cognitive bias where people rely on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision, often influenced by recent events or vivid information.

Insight Learning

A type of learning that occurs without trial and error, characterized by a sudden realization of a problem's solution, often described as an 'aha' moment.

Aha Moment

typically when you get a realization of a solution to an answer without knowing how you got/solved it.

Problems with problem solving

When we problem solve, we are often following our intuition. But your gut instinct isn’t always correct. (Effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought.