Problem Solving and Intelligence Flashcards
Fluid Intelligence
- Reflects how well you handle a new task rather than what facts you have
Prefrontal cortex
- Executive function; regulates attention, modulates impulses, coordinates information from other brain regions
Deductive Reasoning
ideas/general information –> specific conclusions
Inductive Reasoning
specific facts –> broad generalizations
Insight Problem
Designed to test your ability to think outside the box
Functional Fixedness
Our difficulty seeing alternative uses for common objects
Reliability
- A reliable test produces the same result if one person takes it multiple times
Validity
- A valid test measures the trait it’s supposed to be measuring
Galton’s Study
- Increased reaction time = higher intelligence
- reaction to sensorimotor tasks
Binet’s Intelligence Scale
- Had 30 simple tasks that could adapt to each age group
- Later called the Standford-Binet Intelligence test
Spearman & Generalized Intelligence
Called it “g”; intelligence is reflected in overall performance
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
- 8 different types of intelligence, independent from one another
- Lack of evidence; ignores Spearman’s findings on “g”
The Flynn Effect
- observes rising IQ scores
- argues that increases quality of schooling has played a large role in this increase
Piaget
Fundamental idea was that children are active learners
Schema
A mental framework for interpreting the world around us
Assimilation
Incorporating new information into existing schemas
Sensorimotor Stage
- typically lasts until the second birthday
- recognizes that he can affect change on his environment
- begins purposely engaging with the world
Pre-Operational Stage
- 2-7 years
- mastered object permanence
- still has a number of important cognitive limitations such as; egocentrism, seriation, reversible relationships and conservation
Concrete Operational Stage
- 7-12 years
- now able to perform things they struggled with during pre operational stage
- Unable to think in abstract terms, or reason based on hypothesis
Formal Operational
- 12+ years
- Can think abstractly, and can do everything within the range of adult cognitive abilities
Confirmation Bias
- Tendency to seek out information that supports our hypothesis
Availability Heuristic
- Tendency to make decisions based on the information that is most quickly and readily available to us
Representative Heuristic
- Tendency to assume that what we see is representative of the larger category we have in mind
Bounded Rationality
- Cognitive limitations prevent humans from being fully rational
Anchoring
- the bias to be affected by an initial anchor, even if it’s arbitrary
- sets a ceiling for the highest price you would pay
Framing
- Bias to be systematically affected by the way in which information is presented
