Exam 2 (Chapters 8 & 10 Coleman) Flashcards
Cognition
how information is processed and manipulated when remembering, thinking, and knowing
Thinking
the process of manipulating information mentally by forming concepts, solving problems, making decisions, and reflecting critically or creatively
Concepts
mental categories used to group objects, events, and characteristics
Formal Concepts
concepts that have a rigid set of rules or parameters for membership
natural concepts
concepts that develop through our own experiences in the world
Prototype Model
model emphasizing that when people evaluate whether a given item reflects a certain concept
Problem Solving
the mental process of finding an appropriate way to attain a goal when the goal is not readily available
Subgoals
intermediate goals or intermediate problems devised to put the individual in a better position for reaching the final goal or solution
Algorithms
strategies, including formulas, instructions, and the testing of all possible solutions, that guarantee a solution to a problem
Heuristics
shortcuts strategies and guidelines that suggest a solution to a problem but do not guarantee an answer
Fixation
using a prior strategy and failing to look at a problem from a new perspective
Functional Fixedness
falling to solve a problem as a result of fixation on an object’s usual functions (ignoring unusual functions)
Reasoning
mental activity of transforming information to reach conclusion
Inductive Reasoning
reasoning from specific observations to make generalizations
Deductive Reasoning
reasoning from a general case that is known to be true to a specific instance
Decision Making
evaluating alternatives and making choices among them
- System I-Automatic
rapid, heuristic, associative, intuitive, Intuition
- System II-Controlled
slower, effortful, analytical
Loss Aversion
prefer avoiding losses over acquiring gains
Framing
the way a decision or problem is presented
Endowment effect
ascribing greater value to things they already own than objects owned by someone else
Sunk Cost Fallacy
reluctance to give up on a venture because of past investment
Confirmation Bias
search only for and use information that supports our ideas, but none that refutes them
Hindsight Bias
report falsely that we predicted an outcome after the fact
Availability Heuristic
predict probability based on ease of recalling or imagining similar event
Dunning-Kruger Effect
occurs when people with little of no knowledge greatly overestimate their knowledge
Representativeness Heuristic
make judgements based on stereotypes
Bias Blind Spot
notice other biases in others but not in self
Critical Thinking
thinking reflectively and productively and evaluating the evidence
Mindfulness
state of being alert and mentally present for one’s everyday activities
Open-Mindedness
state of being receptive to other ways of looking at things
Creativity
the ability to think about something in novel and unusual ways to devise unconventional solutions to problems
Divergent Versus Convergent Thinking
- Divergent: many solutions
- Convergent: single best solution
Intelligence
all-purpose ability to do well on cognitive tasks, solve problems, learn from experience
Spearman’s General Intelligence
represents a broad mental capacity that influences performance on mental tasks
Fluid Intelligence
the ability to think and reason abstractly and solve problems
Crystallized intelligence
the ability to use learned skills, knowledge, and experience
Social Intelligence
ability to negotiate new social environments
Emotional Intelligence
a person’s ability to perceive, understand, manage, and utilize his or her emotions
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Verbal
ability to think in words and use language to express meaning
Mathematical
ability to carry out mathematical operations
Spatial
ability to think three-dimensionally
Body Kinesthetic
ability to manipulate objects and to be physically adept
Musical
ability to be sensitive to pitch, melody, rhythm, and tone
Interpersonal
ability to understand and interact effectively with others
Intrapersonal
ability to understand oneself
Naturalistic
ability to observe patterns in nature and understand natural and human-made systems
Existentialist
ability to grapple with the big questions of human existence with special sensitivity to issues of spirituality
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
Validity
extent to which a test measures what it intends to measure
Reliability
extent to which the test yields a consistent measure that can be reproduced
Standardization
developing uniform procedures for administering and scoring a test, as well as creating norms
Norms
performance standards for particular test and are created as a way of interpreting scores
Mental Age (MA)
level of mental development relative to that of others for a particular age group
Chronological age (CA)
the actual age from birth of the individual
Wechsler Scales
assess vocabulary, working memory capacity, math abilities, solving puzzles, comprehension, etc.
Normal Distribution
