3.4 Cognition Problem Solving and Creativity - Key Terms

cognition/cognitive activity

The general term for activities such as thinking, reasoning, decision making, and forming mental images

Where do thoughts come from?

thought processes such as decision making and problem solving takes place in the prefrontal cortex - damage to the prefrontal cortex causes trouble in controlling emotions and making connections between feelings and thoughts

3 basic elements of thinking

mental images/prototypes, concepts, language

mental images/prototypes

your mind's representation or "best example" of your sensory experiences (think societal archetypes, stereotypes, introverted sensing). They provide easy mental shortcuts that help you easily classify informationFor example, if someone's prototype of a bird is like a robin, then it's difficult at first to recognize a penguin as a bird.

concepts

class or category of events, objects, or ideas that share similar characteristics. concept formation occurs when you group events, ideas, and objects that share similar characteristics. For example, you concept of a "ball" may include several related items such as a football, a baseball, a basketball, a tennis ball, and a soccer ball

Language

A related form of thinking more symbolic and abstract than the picture-like form that uses imagery

deductive reasoning

The thinker tries to determine a particular consequence from a general rule or set of rulesFor example, to deduce the shortest distance from point A to point B, you would need to imagine a straight line between the two. This is because in geometry class, you learned the rule that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line

inductive reasoning

The thinker induces a general rule from particular observationsFor example, scientists use inductive reasoning to formulate research hypotheses.

Compensatory Decision Models

allows attractive attributes to compensate for unattractive attributes. think about our natural tendencies in decision making - we often make irrational decisions that are subject to influence from personal experience (Fi!)

non compensatory decision model

doesn't allow attributes to compensate for others

availability heuristic

Refers to the tendency to judge and perhaps over-estimate the likelihood of something by the most obvious examples (Si!)For instance, the number of deaths due to plane crashes and sinking ships are usually overestimated because people remember stories about crashes and sinkings even if they're rare.

representative heuristic

The tendency to judge a person or event according to a group that we have already judged.For example, the police search an area where a bank robbery has just occurred. The only person they find in the area is a fifty year-old housewife. The police release the woman because she doesn't fit the prototype of a bank robber, even though in reality she might be the robber.

problem solving

The active efforts we take to discover what must be done to achieve a goal that isn't already attainableEveryday, we engage in some form of problem solving, requiring some of the highest levels of cognitive functions

trial and error

trying out possible solutions and discarding those that fail to solve the problem. as you can tell, this isnt very efficient

the 4 stages of problem solving

1. Identify the problem2. Generate potential solutions3. Evaluate solutions4. Try solutions and evaluate the results

heuristic

A strategy for solving a problem or coming to a decision that MIGHT be efficient but doesn't guarantee the right decision. A rule-of-thumb strategy/educated guesses/mental shortcuts

Algorithm:

A step by step method for solving a problem that GUARANTEES a solution BUT sometimes takes too long to implement

Mental Sets (Problem Solving)

Barriers to problem solving that only occur when you apply methods that have worked in the past, rather than trying new or different strategiesExample: Old study habits may prevent some students from using better techniques

functional fixedness (fixation)

Barrier to problem solving. Occurs when you aren't able to recognize novel uses for an object because you're so familiar with its common use (Si!)Example: When Ariel used a fork as a hairbrush, none of us were expecting that

confirmation bias

Barrier to problem solving. The tendency to seek out + pay attention to information that confirms a position or belief while ignoring contradictory information.Many politicians pay attention to polls that support their position, ignoring those that don't

Framing

More barriers to problem solving. The way an issue is stated. How an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgements

Overconfidence

More barriers to problem solving. The tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs and judgements

Creativity

he ability to generate ideas and solutions that are original, novel, and useful. It is completely different from intelligence!

what does creativity include?

1. Originality: Coming up with new ideas2. Fluency: Coming up with many ideas easily (Ne!)3. Flexibility: Freely adapting ideas to new conditions4. Appropriateness or usefulness: The idea solves an important problem or serves a need

Divergent thinking

a style of thinking associated with creativity.Thinking that produces many alternatives or ideas (Ne).It's the style of thinking most associated with creative thought and problem solving - least associated with functional fixedness (Si)

Convergent thinking

a style of thinking associated with creativity. Conventional thinking directed towards a single correct solution (Ni)

Brainstorming

Involves considering all the possible solutions to a problem without making prior evaluative judgments. A safe space for Ne ;)

insight

When a subject develops a sudden realization about the solution to a problem and applies that realization to similar problems.

incubation

A belief that states that a thinker doesn't stop working on the problem when they "shelve" it.Instead, the problem solver uses the incubation period to break the constraints of the previous mental set - the new mental set, as a result, allows the problem solver to look at the problem in a different perspective