8: Cognition, Language, and Creativity

Cognition

________: Process of thinking, gaining knowledge, and dealing with knowledge.

Availability heuristic

________: Mental shortcut that relies on how quickly examples come to mind when evaluating a topic or making a decision.

Grammar

________: A set of rules for combining language units into meaningful speech or writing.

Heuristic

________: Shortcut or rule of thumb for finding a solution to a problem.

Originality

________: How novel or unusual your ideas are.

Hot cognition

________: Thinking that is driven by emotions.

Concept

________: Mental category for classifying things based on common features or properties.

Insight

________: A sudden mental reorganization of a problem that makes the solution obvious.

Morphemes

________: Smallest meaningful units in a language, such as syllables or words.

Bilingualism

________: The ability to speak two languages.

Logical thought

________: Drawing conclusions on the basis of formal principles of reasoning.

Syntax

________: Rules for ordering words when forming sentences.

Incubation

________: Problem- solving on a subconscious level.

Semantics

________: The study of meanings in words and language.

visual depiction

Mental images: Mental picture or ________ used in memory and thinking.

Linguistic relativity

________ hypothesis: The idea that the words we use not only reflect our thoughts but can shape them as well.

Fluency

________: In tests of creativity, ________ refers to the total number of solutions produced.

Automatic processing

________: Sometimes lead to irrational choices.

Representativeness

________ heuristic: Mental shortcut of judging if something belongs in a given class based on similarity to other members.

Orientation

________: Defining the problems and important dimensions.

Flexibility

________: In tests of creativity, ________ is indicated by how many different types of solutions are produced.

Functional fixedness

________: Tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use.

Concept Formation

________: Process of classifying information into meaningful categories.

Choice overload

________: Difficulty making a decision in the face of many alternatives.

Animal language

________: cries, gestures, mating calls.

Kahneman

________ and Tverskys behavioral economics: Developed four common errors in decision- making: Framing, availability heuristic, representativeness heuristic, and base rate.

Intuition

________: Quick, impulsive thought that does not use formal logic or clear reasoning.

Language

________: Words or symbols, and rules for combining them, that are used for thinking and communication.

Phonemes

________: Basic speech sounds of a language.

Verification

________: Test and critically evaluate the solution.

ASL

________: Spatial grammar, syntax, semantics.

Creativity

________: Ability to combine mental elements in new and useful ways.

Illumination

________: Rapid insight (lightbulb moment)

Random Search Strategy

________: Trying possible solutions to a problem in a more or less random over.

Experimental processing

________: Thought that is passive, effortless, and automatic.

Prototype

________: An ideal model used as a prime example of a particular concept.

Preparation

________: Gather information on the specific problem.

Algorithmic solution

________: A problem solution achieved by following a series of step- by- step rules.

active discovery of problems

Problem finding: The ________ to be solved.

Thin slicing

________: Quickly making sense of thin slivers of experiences.

Subtractive Bilingualism

________: Eliminating a second language.

Additive Bilingualism

________: Learning a second language.

Selective Comparison

________: Ability to compare new problems with old information.

Selective Encoding

________: Selecting information that is relevant to a problem.

Faulty Concepts

________: Do not always accurately reflect reality.

Originality

________: In tests of creativity: ________ refers to how novel or unusual solutions are.

Fluency

________: The total number of suggestions you can make.

Flexibility

________: The number of times you shift between potential uses.

Cognition

Process of thinking, gaining knowledge, and dealing with knowledge

Experimental processing

Thought that is passive, effortless, and automatic

Reflective processing

Thought that is active effortful, and controlled

Mental images

Mental picture or visual depiction used in memory and thinking

Concept

Mental category for classifying things based on common features or properties

Concept Formation

Process of classifying information into meaningful categories

Prototype

An ideal model used as a prime example of a particular concept

Faulty Concepts

Do not always accurately reflect reality

Language

Words or symbols, and rules for combining them, that are used for thinking and communication

Phonemes

Basic speech sounds of a language

Morphemes

Smallest meaningful units in a language, such as syllables or words

Grammar

A set of rules for combining language units into meaningful speech or writing

Syntax

Rules for ordering words when forming sentences

Transformation rules

Rules by which a simple declarative sentence may be changed to other choices or forms (past tense, passive voice, and so forth)

Semantics

The study of meanings in words and language

Denotative meaning

The exact, dictionary definition of a word or concept; its objective meaning

Connotative meaning

The subjective, personal, or emotional meaning of a word or concept

ASL

Spatial grammar, syntax, semantics

Animal language

cries, gestures, mating calls

Linguistic relativity hypothesis

The idea that the words we use not only reflect our thoughts but can shape them as well

Bilingualism

The ability to speak two languages

Subtractive Bilingualism

Eliminating a second language

Additive Bilingualism

Learning a second language

Algorithmic solution

A problem solution achieved by following a series of step-by-step rules

Logical thought

Drawing conclusions on the basis of formal principles of reasoning

Inductive thought

Thinking in which a general rule or principle is gathered from a series of specific examples; for instance, inferring the laws of gravity by observing many falling objects

Deductive thought

Thought that applies a general set of rules to specific situations; for example, using the laws of gravity to predict the behavior of a single falling object

Understanding (in problem solving)

A deeper comprehension of the nature of a problem

General solution

A solution that correctly states the requirements for success, but not in enough detail for further action

Functional solution

A detailed, practical, and workable solution

Heuristic

Shortcut or rule of thumb for finding a solution to a problem

Random Search Strategy

Trying possible solutions to a problem in a more or less random over

Insight

A sudden mental reorganization of a problem that makes the solution obvious

Selective Encoding

Selecting information that is relevant to a problem

Selective Combination

Bringing together seemingly unrelated bits of useful information

Selective Comparison

Ability to compare new problems with old information

Fixation (in problem solving)

The tendency to repeat wrong solutions or faulty responses, especially as a result of becoming blind to alternatives

Functional fixedness

Tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use

Intuition

Quick, impulsive thought that does not use formal logic or clear reasoning

Thin-slicing

Quickly making sense of thin slivers of experiences

Hot cognition

Thinking that is driven by emotions

Automatic processing

Sometimes lead to irrational choices

Behavioral economics

A branch of economics that applies psychology to the study of economic decision-making

Framing

In thought, the terms in which a problem is stated or the way that it is structured

Availability heuristic

Mental shortcut that relies on how quickly examples come to mind when evaluating a topic or making a decision

Representativeness heuristic

Mental shortcut of judging if something belongs in a given class based on similarity to other members

Base rate

The basic rate at which an event occurs over time; the basic probability of an event

Choice overload

Difficulty making a decision in the face of many alternatives

Creativity

Ability to combine mental elements in new and useful ways

Convergent thinking

Thinking directed toward discovery of a single established correct answer

Divergent thinking

Many possibilities are developed from one starting point

Fluency

The total number of suggestions you can make