Chapter 7 Thinking, Language and Intelligence: Module 21

Question 1

Cognitive Psychology

Answer 1

The branch of psychology that focuses on the study of higher mental processes, including thinking, language, memory, problem solving, knowing, judging, and decision making.

Question 2

Thinking

Answer 2

The manipulation of representations of information.

Question 3

Mental images

Answer 3

Representations in the mind that resemble the object or even being represented.

Question 4

Concepts

Answer 4

A mental grouping of similar objects, event, or people.

Question 5

Prototypes

Answer 5

Typical, highly representative examples of a concept.

Question 6

Algorithm

Answer 6

A rule that, if applied appropriately, guarantees a solution to a problem.

Question 7

Heuristic

Answer 7

A thinking strategy that may lead us to a solution to a problem or decision, but-unlike algorithms- may sometimes lead to errors.

Question 8

Preparation

Answer 8

Understanding and diagnosing problems

Question 9

Productions

Answer 9

Generating solutions.

Question 10

Judgement

Answer 10

Evaluating solutions.

Question 11

Well-defined problem

Answer 11

Both the nature of the problem itself and the information needed to solve it are available and clear.

Question 12

Ill-defined problem

Answer 12

The specific nature of the problem is unclear and the information required to solve the problem is even less obvious.

Question 13

Arrangement problems

Answer 13

Require the problem solver to rearrange or recombine elements in a way that will satisfy certain criterion. ex. Anagrams and puzzles

Question 14

Problem of inducing structure

Answer 14

Person must identify the existing relationship among the elements presented and construct a new relationship among them.

Question 15

Transformation problems

Answer 15

Consist of an initial state, a goal state, and a method for changing the initial state into the goal state.

Question 16

Means-ends analysis

Answer 16

Involves repeated tests for differences between the desired outcome and what currently exists.

Question 17

Subgoals

Answer 17

Diving a problem into intermediate steps.

Question 18

Insight

Answer 18

A sudden awareness of the relationships among various elements that had previously appeared independent of one another.

Question 19

Functional fixedness

Answer 19

The tendency to think of an object only in terms of its typical use.

Question 20

Mental Set

Answer 20

The tendency for old patterns of problem solving to persist.

Question 21

Confirmation bias

Answer 21

The tendency to seek out and weight more heavily information that supports one’s initial hypotheses, and to ignore contradictory information that supports alternative hypotheses or solutions.

Question 22

Means-ends analysis

Answer 22

Involves repeated tests for differences between the desired outcome and what currently exists.

Question 23

Subgoals

Answer 23

Diving a problem into intermediate steps.

Question 24

Insight

Answer 24

A sudden awareness of the relationships among various elements that had previously appeared independent of one another.

Question 25

Functional fixedness

Answer 25

The tendency to think of an object only in terms of its typical use.

Question 26

Mental Set

Answer 26

The tendency for old patterns of problem solving to persist.

Question 27

Confirmation bias

Answer 27

The tendency to seek out and weight more heavily information that supports one’s initial hypotheses, and to ignore contradictory information that supports alternative hypotheses or solutions.

Question 28

Creativity

Answer 28

The ability to generate original ideas or solve problems in novel ways.

Question 29

Divergent thinking

Answer 29

The ability to generate unusual, yet appropriate, responses to problems or questions.

Question 30

Convergent thinking

Answer 30

Produces responses that are based primarily on knowledge and logic.

Question 31

Cognitive complexity

Answer 31

Preference for elaborate, intricate, and complex stimuli and thinking patterns.

Question 32

Fractionation

Answer 32

Allows us to examine each part for new possibilities and approaches, leading to a novel solution for the problem as a whole.