Module 35: Solving Problems and Making Decisions

algorithm

a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. Contrats with the usually speedier—but also more error-prone—use of heuristics

heuristic

a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than an algorithm

insight

a sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy-based solutions

Wolfgang Köhler

showed that humans are not the only creatures to display insight, as demonstrated by his experiment with a chimpanzee, named Sultan, trying to grab a piece of fruit from a stick

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

fixation

in cognition, the inability to see a problem from a new perspective; an obstacle to problem solving

mental set

a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past

intuition

an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning

representativeness heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information

availability heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common

Fear Factor: what factors exaggerate our fear of unlikely events?

1. we fear what our ancestral history has prepared us to fear

2. we fear what we cannot control

3. we fear what is immediate

4. Thanks to availability heuristic, we fear what is most readily available in our memory

overconfidence

the tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgements

belief perseverance

clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

Framing

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is worded can significantly affect decisions and judgments

Examples of framing

1. choosing to live or die

2. Becoming an organ donor

3. Opting to save for retirement

How do smart thinkers use intuition?

1. intuition is recognition born of experience

2. intuition is usually adaptive

3. intuition is huge