Unit 2 - Thinking, Problem-Solving, Judgments, and Decision Making

Prototypes

Best example or mental image of a category.

Schemas

Conceptual frameworks organizing information.

Assimilation

Absorbing new information into existing schemas.

Accommodation

Adjusting schemas or creating new ones for new information.

Algorithms

Step-by-step procedures ensuring problem-solving success.

Heuristics

Simple strategies for efficient judgments and problem-solving.

Representativeness heuristic

Judging based on how well something matches a prototype.

Availability heuristic

Estimating likelihood based on memory availability.

Mental set

Tendency to approach problems in familiar ways.

Priming

Exposure to a stimulus influencing responses to subsequent stimuli.

Framing

The way information is presented, affecting decisions and judgments.

Gambler’s fallacy

Belief that past events influence future independent events.

Sunk-cost fallacy

Continuing investments based on past resources rather than future benefits.

Executive functions

High-level cognitive processes for goal-setting, planning, and decision-making.

Creativity

Ability to generate novel, valuable ideas.

Divergent thinking

Expanding possibilities for problem-solving.

Convergent thinking

Narrowing options to find the best solution.

Functional fixedness

Difficulty seeing new uses for familiar objects.