Thinking and Decision Making

What is thinking defined as in the context of knowledge and information?

Thinking is the process of using knowledge and information to make plans, interpret the world, and make predictions.

What are the four main ways and purposes of thinking?

Creativity, Reasoning, and Decision Making and Problem Solving

What is Decision Making?

The process of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision-maker.

Why is decision making needed during problem-solving?

It is needed to reach a conclusion.

What is Problem Solving defined as?

Thinking that is directed towards specific problems by means of a set of mental strategies.

What does the Dual Process Model by Stanovich and West propose?

There are two different ways of thinking and decision making: System 1 and System 2.

What characteristics define System 1 thinking?

Automatic, intuitive, effortless, uses heuristics (mental shortcuts) to make quick decisions, efficient for complex information, prone to errors, creates strong confidence.

What characteristics define System 2 thinking?

Slower, conscious, rational, requires more cognitive effort, analyses multiple possibilities, less prone to errors, creates less confidence in decisions.

(+) What is a positive evaluation point of the Dual Process Model?

There is biological evidence that different types of thinking may be processed in different parts of the brain.

(+) What is the Wason selection task used for?

It is a test for cognitive biases, which has reliable results.

(-) What is a negative critique of the Dual Process Model?

The model can be overly reductionist and the definitions for the two systems are not always clear.