Module 25 - Thinking

cognition

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communication

concept

a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people

prototype

a mental image or best example of a category

algorithm

step-by-step procedures that guarantee a solution

heuristics

simpler thinking strategies

insight

an abrupt; true-seeming, and often satisfying solution

confirmation bias

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

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

availability heuristic

operates when we estimate the likelihood of events based on how mentally available they are - how easily they come to mind

overconfidence

tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our knowledge and judgments

belief perseverance

tendency to cling to our beliefs in the face of contrary evidence

framing

the way we present an issue - sways our decisions and judgments

creativity

the ability to produce ideas that are both novel and valuable

convergent thinking

narrowing the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution

divergent thinking

expanding the number of possible problem solutions; creative thinking that diverges in different directions

concept

a mental grouping of similar things is called a

algorithm

the most systematic procedure for solving a problem is a(n)

A major obstacle to problem solving in fixation, which is a(n)

in ability to view a problem from a new perspective