Thinking and reasoning

What is the definition of mental representations?

Information used for thinking, stored in long-term memory.

What are concepts?

Structures in semantic long-term memory that act as repositories of knowledge about categories.

Why are concepts important?

They provide a cognitively effective way to represent knowledge and allow for accurate predictions.

What is the classical approach to categorization?

Items belong to categories because they possess certain necessary and sufficient properties.

What is the prototype approach?

Categories have a central description and a prototype is considered the ‘best’ category member.

Define the exemplars approach.

Many instances of a category are stored in memory as exemplars, rather than having a pre-stored prototype.

What is trial-and-error learning?

A method of problem-solving where multiple approaches are tried until a solution is found.

What is the Candle Problem?

A problem-solving task that illustrates functional fixedness by requiring participants to attach a candle to a wall.

What is a mental set?

A mental framework that influences how individuals approach and solve problems.

What differentiates simple problem-solving from complex problem-solving?

Simple problems do not require extensive background knowledge, while complex problems require a greater knowledge base and expertise.

What is reasoning?

The process of forming conclusions, inferences, or judgments based on given information.

What are mental heuristics?

Mental 'rules of thumb' used to simplify reasoning and judgements.

Define the concept of loss aversion.

The tendency for individuals to prefer avoiding losses rather than acquiring equivalent gains.

What happens in the Iowa Gambling Task?

It assesses decision-making and rational performance, revealing effects of damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

What is the sunk-cost effect?

The tendency to continue investing in a decision based on prior investments, even when it is failing.

What is the main focus of decision-making theories?

Normative theories focus on ideal decision-making, while descriptive theories characterize how decisions are actually made.