Higher-Order Cognition Flashcards

Flashcards on Higher-Order Cognition

Problem Solving

Generating a route to a goal, such as solving an electrical fault.

Decision Making

Evaluating alternative outcomes or making choices, like choosing a treatment.

Reasoning

Drawing further inferences from current knowledge and beliefs, such as identifying errors in logic.

Skill acquisition and Expertise

Knowledge as routine; the process of becoming highly proficient in a skill (e.g., becoming a doctor).

Deductive Reasoning

A judgment that something must be true if other statements are true (e.g., All humans are mortal. Bill is a human. Therefore, Bill is mortal).

Inductive Reasoning

A judgment that some rule is probably true based on experience (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Wundt, Skinner were all mortal. They were all human. Therefore, all humans must be mortal).

Syllogism

A basic reasoning puzzle consisting of a set of statements (premises) and a conclusion. The question is whether the conclusion follows from the premises.

Valid Conclusion

A conclusion that logically follows from the premises; also referred to as suppositionally inescapable.

True Conclusion

A statement about the world.

Sound Conclusion

A valid conclusion with true premises, resulting in a true conclusion.

Matching bias

Selecting cards matching those named in the rule. In Wason's task, focusing on vowels and even numbers because they are explicitly mentioned.

Atmosphere hypothesis

If two premises are of the same form (e.g., 'some', 'all'), then 'atmosphere' makes it likely that conclusion is judged to be valid. If one premise has 'some' or 'not' then more likely to judge a conclusion containing that term to be valid

Pragmatic Reasoning Schemas

Sets of generalized, context-sensitive rules defined in relation to classes of goals (e.g., permission). Example: if action is taken, then check that condition has been met.

Induction

An inference about what is probably true, based on prior experience. Premises are true about the past but do not address the future

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek out information that confirms what we already think is true, and to interpret information to fit our beliefs.

Positive Test Strategy

Seeking information that confirms one's hypothesis, which can be effective depending on the rule and environment.

Mental logics

Theories suggesting that deductive reasoning consists of the application of mental rules of inference.

Mental models

A theory of reasoning based on the construction of mental representations or simulations of possibilities.

Bayesian reasoning

A framework for reasoning and decision-making under uncertainty that incorporates prior beliefs and updates them based on new evidence.

Logicism

The view that logic is the foundation for human thought.