Thinking
These terms are from Myers Module 28 and my lecture notes.
Terms
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- artifical concept
- A concept that is defined by a set of rules or characteristics, such as word definitions or mathematical formulas
- anchoring heuristic
- Making decisions based on certain ideas or standards that are important to us.
- mental set
- The tendency to approach a problem in a particular way, especially a way that has been successful in the past.
- directed thinking
- a systematic and logical attempt to reach a specific goal or answer; convergent thinking
- algorithm
- A methodical, logical rue or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.
- fixation
- The inability to see a problem from a new perspective
- heuristic
- A simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve poblems quickly; a "rule of thumb" or shortcut.
- prototype
- A mental image or best example of a category.
- representative heuristic
- The presumption that once people or events are categorized, they share all the features of other members in that category.
- concept
- A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.
- overconfidence
- The tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs and judgments.
- insight
- A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem.
- nondirected thinking
- A free flow of thoughts with no particular plan; divergent thinking
- availability heuristic
- estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if it comes easily to mind, we think it is common.
- belief perseverance
- Clinging to our initial conceptions in the face of contrary evidence.
- framing
- The way an issue is posed; can change the way we think about the issue.
- functional fixedness
- The tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use.
- hindsight bias
- I-knew-it-all-along.
- confirmation bias
- The tendency to look for information that agrees with our own ideas.
- metacognition
- The awareness of one's own cognitive processes; thinking about thinking.
- natural concepts
- Concepts that develop out of our everyday experience in the world; involves prototypes
- cognition
- The mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
- belief bias
- The tendency for one's preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning.
- concept hierarchies
- Levels of concepts, from most general to most specific.