Lecture 11 Flashcards
What is reasoning?
The process of deriving conclusions or making inferences based on evidence and logic.
What is deductive reasoning?
Using general premises to arrive at specific, logically certain conclusions.
What are syllogisms?
Logical arguments with two premises and a conclusion (e.g., “All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal”).
What makes a syllogism valid?
A syllogism is valid if the conclusion logically follows from the premises, regardless of whether the premises are true.
What are antecedents?
The “if” clause in a conditional statement (e.g., “If it rains, the ground will get wet”).
What are consequents?
The “then” clause in a conditional statement (e.g., “If it rains, the ground will get wet”).
What is modus ponens?
A valid reasoning rule: If “p → q” and “p” is true, then “q” must also be true.
What is modus tollens?
A valid reasoning rule: If “p → q” and “q” is false, then “p” must also be false.
What is affirmation of the consequent?
A logical fallacy: Assuming “If p → q” and “q” is true, then “p” must also be true.
What is antecedent failure?
Occurs when the antecedent (“p”) is not true, leaving the conditional statement unresolved.
What is the Wason card selection task?
A reasoning task testing how well individuals use logical rules to test conditional statements.
What is confirmation bias?
Tendency to seek evidence that supports existing beliefs and ignore contradictory evidence.
What is falsification bias?
Preference for confirming rather than disproving hypotheses.
What is a permission schema?
A framework where certain actions are allowed only if specific conditions are met.
What did Cheng & Holyoke (1985) demonstrate?
Showed that context and real-world schemas improve reasoning performance.
What is inductive reasoning?
Drawing generalizations based on specific examples.
What is property induction?
Drawing generalizations based on specific examples (e.g., “All dogs I’ve seen have tails, so all dogs probably have tails”).
What is premise typicality?
Inductive arguments are stronger when premises involve typical category members.
What are prior probabilities?
The initial likelihood of an event based on existing knowledge.
What is Bayes’ Rule?
A mathematical formula for updating probabilities based on new evidence.
What is the range of chonkitude?
Humorous term referring to applying probabilistic reasoning in unexpected contexts.
What is the distinction between best vs likely solutions?
The distinction between finding the most optimal solution versus a practical one.
What are goals in problem-solving?
The desired end states in problem-solving tasks.
What are non-insight problems?
Solved systematically through step-by-step reasoning.
What are insight problems?
Require a sudden realization or “aha” moment to find the solution.
What is Dunker’s Candle Problem?
An insight problem demonstrating functional fixedness (failing to see alternative uses for objects).
What is Maier’s Two String Problem?
An insight problem requiring creative problem-solving to connect two strings.
What is functional fixedness?
The tendency to see objects only in their usual functions, hindering creative problem-solving.
What is means-end analysis?
Breaking down a problem into smaller subgoals to achieve a final solution.
What is reframing the initial state?
Changing how a problem is perceived to uncover new solutions.
What is Black’s Chequerboard Problem?
Illustrates how problem representation impacts problem-solving success.
What did Kaplan and Simon (1990) study?
Studied how framing problems affects the ability to solve them.
What is analogical transfer?
Applying solutions from one problem to another by identifying shared structures.
What is Dunker’s Radiation Problem?
Demonstrates analogical transfer using a military analogy to solve a medical problem.
What did Gick and Holyoke (1983) show?
Showed that providing explicit hints improves analogical problem-solving.
What is mapping correspondences?
Identifying structural similarities between problems to facilitate analogical reasoning.
What are surface features?
Superficial characteristics of a problem that may distract from its deeper structure.
What are structural features?
Underlying principles or relationships that are critical to solving a problem.
What is set and mindset?
A fixed approach to problem-solving, which can hinder flexibility and creativity.
What is intrinsic motivation?
The drive to solve problems due to personal satisfaction or interest.
What helps problem solving?
Factors such as motivation, diverse perspectives, and analogical thinking enhance problem-solving.
What is the difference between identification vs description?
Effective problem-solving often depends on correctly defining the problem.
What is theory of mind?
The ability to understand and attribute mental states to others.
How does expertise relate to problem solving?
Experts excel at recognizing patterns and applying learned strategies to solve problems.
What did Evans et al. (2018) study?
Studied how experts and novices differ in problem-solving approaches.
What is the Dunning-Kruger Effect?
A cognitive bias where individuals overestimate their abilities due to a lack of knowledge.
What is imposter syndrome?
The feeling of being undeserving of success despite evidence of competence.
