Cognition
The mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
Concept
A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.
Prototype
a mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to this provides a quick and easy method for including items in a category.
Algorithm
a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. Contrasts 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 algorithms
Insight
a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem; it contrasts with strategy-based solutions
Confirmation Bias
a tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions
Fixation
The inability to see a problem from a new perspective; an impediment to problem solving
Mental Set
A tendency to approach a problem in a particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past.
Functional Fixedness
The tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving.
Representativeness Heuristic
Judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead one to ignore other relevant information.
Availability Heuristic
Estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily in mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common.
Overconfidence
The tendency to be more confident than correct - to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs and judgments.
Framing
The way an issue is posed; how an issue is poised can significantly affect decisions and judgments
Belief Bias
The tendency for one's preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning, sometimes by making invalid conclusions seem valid, or valid conclusions seem invalid.
Belief Perseverance
Clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.