Reasoning/Decision Making

Question 1

What are the four areas of research in reasoning?

Answer 1

1. Judgement (concerns calculating the likelihood of certain events)
2. Decision making (selecting one out of a number of potential options)
3. Problem solving (cognitive processes that take us from recognising there is a problem through to developing a solution)
4. Reasoning (determining what conclusions can be drawn given various statements are assumed to be true)

Question 2

Which part of the brain is involved with decision making, judgement, problem solving and reasoning?

Answer 2

The Frontal cortex

Question 3

According to Giggerenzer and Hoffrage (1999), we are simply not wired to understand what?
We are better if questions are rephrased to emphasise what?

Answer 3

Percentages, fractions and probabilities
Frequencies

Question 4

Due to cognitive and time limitations, we employ what three heuristics when making judgements…

Answer 4

1. Availability
2. Representativeness
3. Anchoring and adjustment

Question 5

What is the availability heuristic?

Answer 5

Used when we estimate frequency/probability based on ease with which examples come to mind

Question 6

What is the representativeness heuristic?

Answer 6

Used when events that are representative or typical of a class are assigned a high probability of occurrence

Question 7

What is the anchoring and adjustment heuristic?

Answer 7

Used when we begin with an initial estimate of the answer and then attempt to adjust this estimate

Question 8

What does the utility state about decision making?

Answer 8

We should choose the option which has the greatest utility (value to us)

Question 9

What is the key idea of the prospect theory (Khaneman & Tversky, 1984)?

Answer 9

We are loss averse - we pay more attention to potential losses than potential gains

Question 10

What are the three aspects of problem solving?

Answer 10

1. Goal directed
2. Immediate solution not available
3. Involves conscious cognitive processes

Question 11

What are the three parts of a problem?

Answer 11

1. The problem itself
2. The things you might do
3. The solution

Question 12

Define deductive reasoning

Answer 12

When the conclusion is certain if premises are true

Question 13

Define inductive reasoning

Answer 13

When conclusions are likely to be valid, but require further evidence, and can be regarded as hypotheses

Question 14

What are the two premise and conclusion of conditional reasoning?

Answer 14

Premise 1: If p, then q
Premise 2: p
Conclusion: q

Question 15

Summarise Wason’s selection task

Answer 15

Rule: “If there is a vowel on one side there is an even number on the other”
Which cards need to be turned over to determine whether the rule is correct? If any card doesn’t obey the rule, you know the rule is invalid - FALSIFICATION
)If a card does obey the rule, you learn nothing as another card may not – CONFIRMATION is useless
We should turn only the cards that may provide falsification