Unit 2 - Problem Solving Flashcards
Cognition
All the mental activates associated with thinkin, knowing, remembering and communicating
Concept
A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people
Prototype
A mental image or best example of a category
Creativity
The ability to produce new and valuable ideas
Convergent Thinking
Narrowing the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution
Divergent Thinking
Expanding the number of possible problem solutions; creative thinking that diverges in different directions
Algorithm
A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem
Heuristic
A simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error prone than an algorithm
Insight
A sudden realization of a problems solution
Confirmation Bias
A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions, and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence.
Fixation
In cognition, the inability to see a problem from a new perspective; an obstacle to problem solving
Mental Set
A tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past.
Intuition
an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought
Representativeness heuristic
Estimating the likelihood of events in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information
Availability Heuristic
Estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind, we presume such events are common
