Liam PS Week 4

Decision making and Consciousness

Functional Fixedness (3)

1. The tendency to see objects only in terms of their usual functions.

2. Difficulty recognizing alternative uses for an object.

3. Example: Thinking a key can only open a door and not be used to cut open a package.

Belief Bias

The tendency to judge an argument based on whether its conclusion matches one's personal beliefs rather than on the quality of its logic.

Belief Perseverance (2)

1. The tendency to maintain a belief even after evidence has shown it to be false.

2. Difficulty changing an existing schema or belief.

Framing (2)

1. The way information is presented or worded, which can influence decisions and judgments.

2. Example: People are more likely to choose a treatment described as having a "90% survival rate" than one described as having a "10% death rate," even though both mean the same thing.

Consciousness

The awareness we have of ourselves and our environment.

Alertness

The ability to remain attentive and aware of what is happening around us.

Hypnosis (3)

1. A state of relaxation, focused attention, and increased willingness to relinquish control over one's actions.

2. Can be induced through cooperation with a hypnotist or through self-hypnosis.

3. Cannot be performed against a person's will.

Polysomnography (PSG)

A technique used to measure physiological activity during sleep.

Paradoxical Sleep (2)

1. A state in which a person appears physiologically awake (active brain activity) but experiences little to no voluntary muscle movement.

2. Another name for REM sleep.

Stages of Sleep (5)

1. Awake

2. Stage 1 Sleep (NREM 1)

3. Stage 2 Sleep (NREM 2)

4. Stage 3 Sleep (NREM 3/ Slow-Wave Sleep)

5. Stage 4 Sleep (REM Sleep)

Task Similarity (Resource Model of Attention)

More similar tasks are harder to do together because they use the same resources.

Task Difficulty (Resource Model of Attention)

More difficult tasks require more attentional resources.

Preoperational Stage (Piaget) (3)

1. Age 2-7

2. Children learn that objects and ideas can be represented through symbols such as words and images.

3. Thinking is still largely intuitive and lacks logical reasoning.

Formal Operational Stage (Piaget) (3)

1. Age 12+

2. Develop the ability to think abstractly and hypothetically.

3. Capable of advanced reasoning, problem-solving, and moral reasoning.

Mental Set

The tendency to use solutions that worked in the past, even when they are not appropriate for the current situation.