Cognitive Processes Summary

Introduction to Thinking and Cognitive Processes

  • Overview of Cognitive Processes and Thinking.

Units of Thought

  • Concepts

  • Categorisation

  • Propositions

  • Mental images

  • Mental models

  • Schemas

  • Theory of mind

Reasoning, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

  • General principles employed universally.

  • Distinction between Deductive and Inductive reasoning:

    • Deductive: General principles => Specific cases

    • Inductive: Specific facts => General principles

  • Assessment of fit to specific instances and evaluation of facts.

Problem Solving Stages

  1. Interpret (frame) and understand the problem.

  2. Generate hypotheses or possible solutions.

  3. Test the solutions or hypotheses.

  4. Evaluate results and revise steps if needed.

Barriers to Problem Solving

  • Functional fixedness

  • Mental set

  • Confirmation bias

Heuristics in Decision Making

  • Availability heuristic

  • Representative heuristic

  • Anchoring heuristic

Summary of Part 2

  • Key concepts:

    • Units of thought

    • Types of reasoning

    • Problem-solving methods

    • Heuristics

  • Next part will focus on the interplay between language and thinking.