Modules 34-35 Vocab

Question 1

all the mental activites associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Answer 1

cognition

Question 2

a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people

Answer 2

concept

Question 3

a mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to a prototype provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories (as when comparing feathered creatures to a prototypical bird, such as a robin)

Answer 3

prototype

Question 4

the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Answer 4

creativity

Question 5

narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution

Answer 5

convergent thinking

Question 6

expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking that diverges in different directions)

Answer 6

divergent thinking

Question 7

a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier- but also more error prone- use of heuristics

Answer 7

algorithm

Question 8

a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgement and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms

Answer 8

heuristic

Question 9

a sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy-based solutions

Answer 9

insight

Question 10

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

Answer 10

confirmation bias

Question 11

a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past

Answer 11

mental set

Question 12

an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning

Answer 12

intuition

Question 13

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information

Answer 13

representativeness heuristic

Question 14

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common

Answer 14

availability heuristic

Question 15

the tendency to be more confident than correct- to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments

Answer 15

overconfidence

Question 16

clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

Answer 16

belief perseverance

Question 17

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments

Answer 17

framing