Cog Psych: Thinking

Question 1

Luchins water-jar problem

Answer 1

Used to explore impediments to effective problem solving
Subjects are presented with three empty jars and a list of capacities of each jar, then asked to obtain a particular amount of water in one of the jars
Discovered “mental set”: tendency to keep repeating solutions that worked in other situations
Conclusion: Past experience affects strategies we use to solve problems

Question 2

Two impediments to effective problem solving

Answer 2

Mental set: tendency to keep repeating solutions that worked in other situations
Functional Fixedness: tendency to think of certain things as having certain functions; can create inability to use a familiar object in an unfamiliar way

Question 3

Creativity

Answer 3

Cognitive ability that results in new ways of viewing problems or situations

Question 4

Guilford’s Test of Divergent Thinking

Answer 4

Divergent thinking: involves producing as many creative answers to a question as possible.
Guilford’s test is the most famous attempt to measure creativity

Question 5

Heuristics

Answer 5

short-cuts or general guide/system to make a decision; may often lead us to the right decision, but not always

Question 6

Availability heuristic

Answer 6

used when we try to decide how likely something is

Question 7

Representativeness Heuristic

Answer 7

Involves categorizing things on the basis of whether they fit the prototypal, stereotypical, or representative image of the category

Question 8

Base-rate fallacy

Answer 8

using prototypical or stereotypical factors rather than actual numerical information about which category is more numerous; ignoring the numerical information about the items being referred to when categorizing them