10. Thinking and Problem Solving Flashcards
What is focused vs unfocused thinking
focused thinking has a clear starting point + goal
unfocused thinking is like daydreaming
What are well-defined vs ill-defined problems
Well-defined problems have a clear goal + rules
Ill-defined problems don’t have goals, starting information, or steps listed
What is the Generate and Test technique for problem-solving
what it sounds like
What is means-ends analysis technique for problem solving
Comparing the goal to the starting place and thinking of ways to overcome the difference
- creating subgoals
What is working backward technique for problem-solving
start with the last step, and then the next-last step, etc.
What is the reasoning by analogy problem
Using knowledge from one domain and applying it to a different domain
etc. Tumour problem
Name four common problem solving strategies
Generate and test
Means ends analysis
Working backwards
Reasoning by analogy
What is a mental set
The tendency to adopt a certain framework or see things in a certain way rather than other more plausible ways
Jars arithmetic
What is functional fixedness
Instance of mental set, develop a rigid mental set for how an object might be used
Screwdriver riddle
T/F
Gobet and Simon concluded that Kasparov’s superiority in chess came from his ability to plan future moves
F
His ability to recognize patterns
- time pressure of simultaneous games did not affect his gameplay quality
Experts vs. Novices
What are two types of explanations for creative insight
- creativity as special cognitive processing
- creativity as the result of normal, everyday cognition
What is the incubation hypothesis for creativity + criticisms
While your mind is running other processes, there is still processing (incubation) happening in the background
- difficult to test
According to Perkins, creativity is a result of normal cognition. He describes 3 cognitive processes that are everyday but also underlie creative invention. These are:
Directed remembering
- make past experiences consistent with various constraints
Noticing
- where are the problems?
Contrary recognition
- ability to recognize objects for something else
What is reasoning vs thinking
Reasoning is usually more focused and we have one or more particular goals in mind, using inferences
Explain deductive vs inductive reasoning
deductive gos from general to specific
inductive goes from specific to a generalization
What does it mean for an argument to have deductive validity
conclusions from deductions are true
What does it mean for an argument to have inductive strength
if it is improbable (but not impossible) for premises to be true and the conclusion false
What is propositional reasoning vs syllogistic reasoning
propsitional uses logical connectives, truth table
syllogistic reasoning deals with quantifiers
What is confirmation bias and an experiment to go with it
when you try to confirm that something is in accordance with what you believe, rather than trying to find counter examples
2 4 6 test for patterns
What is the content effect on reasoning performance
people perform differently given the same premises, depending on what the premises are about
Think AK47 card task
How might the content effect on the Wason Selection test (conditional reasoning) be explained
the memory cueing explanation:
calling to mind certain information that is relevant to the rule when the content is something that can be experienced
What is the believability effect on reasoning performance
people are more likely to judge that a conclusion is valid if it reinforces their initial assumptions, regardless of if it follows from the premises
What are 2 theoretical approaches to the study of reasoning
the rules approach
the mental models approach
Explain the difference between the rules based on mental model approach to reasoning
rules based:
- people rely on implicit special-purpose rules
- rules can be sensitive to context and domain specific (adaptable)
Mental model:
- reasoning is similar to language comprehension, and we generate a mental model for the premises
- reasoning occurs when we try to generate as many alternative models as we can to support/disprove
How do chess masters differ from novices in their processing of chessboards
they draw a lot more information and can recall a lot more information from a brief exposure
- requires chessboard to be arranged in a possible configuration
What is the Wason selection Tool experiment
AD47 card test for propositional/conditional reasoning
What is conditional vs categorical reasoning
propositional vs syllogistic
What does the dual process of reasoning describe
type 1 reasoning: fast reasoning
type 2 reasoning: slower and deliberate
What does neurological models of reasoning tend to support at the moment
mental models approach, because a lot of visual and spatial perception areas were involved
