2.2 Thinking, Problem-solving, Judgement, and decision-making-100%

Cognition

All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Forming Concepts

A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.

Schemas

A concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

Prototypes

A mental image or best example of a category.

Example of Cognition

Solving a math problem involves thinking about the problem and applying methods to find an answer.

Concept of 'fruit'

Includes items like apples, bananas, and oranges grouped by common characteristics.

Restaurant Schema

Knowledge about what to expect when visiting a restaurant.

Bird Prototype Example

A mental image of a sparrow helps categorize other birds.

Category Hierarchy

A structured organization of related concepts, such as psychology and economics.

Assimilation

Taking in new information but not changing the existing schema.

Accommodation

Changing the schema to incorporate new information.

Algorithms

A systematic step-by-step procedure that guarantees a solution.

Example of Algorithms

Using the quadratic formula to solve a math problem.

Heuristics

Cognitive shortcuts that simplify decision-making but may lead to errors.

Representative Heuristic

Assuming someone fits a stereotype based on prior expectations.

Availability Heuristic

Making decisions based on how quickly an example comes to mind.

Intuition

An effortless, automatic feeling or thought without conscious reasoning.

Creativity

The ability to generate novel ideas that are useful.

Factors Enhancing Creativity

Expertise, imagination, venturesome personality, intrinsic motivation, and creative environment.

Mental Set

The tendency to persist in using the same problem-solving strategies that have worked in the past.

Priming

Exposure to a stimulus influences responses to a subsequent stimulus.

Gambler's Fallacy

Belief that past outcomes influence future probabilities in random events.

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

Continuing an investment despite negative outcomes due to prior commitment.

Confirmation Bias

Searching for information that supports preconceptions while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Overconfidence

Overestimating the accuracy of one's beliefs and judgments.

Fixation

Inability to see a problem from a new perspective.

Functional Fixedness

Inability to recognize novel uses for an item beyond its common purpose.

Belief Perseverance

Clinging to initial beliefs despite contradictory evidence.

Executive Functioning

Cognitive processes that enable goal-directed behavior.

Prefrontal Cortex

Part of the brain that generally controls executive functions.

Divergent Thinking

Generating multiple ideas or solutions.

Convergent Thinking

Combining ideas to find the best solution.

Creativity and Divergent Thinking

Divergent thinking fosters creativity through brainstorming.

Representative Heuristic Example

Estimating likelihood based on resemblance to a prototype.

Availability Heuristic Example

Estimating likelihood based on readily available examples.

Difference between Algorithms and Heuristics

Algorithms guarantee solutions; heuristics are error-prone shortcuts.

Inhibitory Control

Self-control within executive functions.

Cognitive Flexibility

Shifting between tasks within executive functions.