COGNITION Another term for thinking, knowing and remembering Does the way we think really matter? Maybe by studying the way we think, we can eventually think better
In order to think about the world, we form concepts A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas or people These animals all look different, but they fall under our concept of dogs.
Animal Has skin Eats Breathes Bird Has wings Can fly Has feathers Fish Has fins Can swim Has gills Canary Ostrich Shark Salmon Can sing Is yellow Can t fly Is tall Can bite Is dangerous Is pink Is edible
PROTOTYPES What we base our concepts on A mental image or best example of a category If a new object is similar to our prototype, we are better able to recognize it If this was my prototype of a man, then what am I?
How do we solve problems?
ALGORITHMS A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem Usually by using a formula
HEURISTICS A rule of thumb strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently It is fast, but is prone to errors Two major types of heuristics representativeness and availability
REPRESENTATIVENESS HEURISTIC Judging a situation based on how similar the aspects are to the prototypes the person holds in their mind. Like thinking everyone from Saugus is preppy, or someone with glasses is nerdy, or a blonde is not smart
REPRESENTATIVENESS HEURISTIC Who went to Harvard??? If I tell you that Sonia Dara is a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, you would make certain quick judgments (heuristics) about her like about her interests or intelligence My friend Mr. Miler is a smart dude, but did not go to Harvard (but he looks like he did) She is an economics major at Harvard University
AVAILABILITY HEURISTIC Judging a situation based on examples of similar situations that initially come to mind Vivid examples in the news often cause an availability heuristic Which place would you be more scared of getting mugged or even murdered? The Bronx, NY Minneapolis The crime rate of Minneapolis is higher than the Bronx. But when you think of crime, which town comes to mind?
Heuristics can lead to overconfidence The tendency to be more confident than correct To overestimate the accuracy of your beliefs and judgments
BELIEF PERSEVERANCE Clinging to your initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited All Laker fans who still believe that their team is the best in the NBA are suffering from belief perseverance
BELIEF BIAS When an individual uses beliefs INSTEAD of following given directions and using logic to answer a question For example, I will accept that some good ice skaters are not professional hockey players, but will reject an assertion that some professional hockey players are not good ice skaters (which, although it seems unlikely, is possible)
INSIGHT A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem. That a ha moment No real strategy involved
Obstacles to Problem Solving
......... Without lifting your pen from the page, can you connect all nine dots with only four lines?
FIXATION The inability to see a problem from a fresh perspective How would you arrange six matches to form four equilateral triangles? Two examples of fixation are mental set and functional fixedness
MENTAL SET A tendency to approach a problem in a particular way, especially if it has worked in the past Falling into established thought patterns
(Do the left column first)
(Do the left column first) The strategy you used to solve the first column probably kept you from seeing the multiple solutions for the words in the second column.
FUNCTIONAL FIXEDNESS The inability to see a new use for an object Think of as many uses as you can
CONFIRMATION BIAS A tendency to search for information that confirms one s preconceptions EXAMPLE: If you believe that during a full moon there is an increase in admissions to the emergency room where you work, you will take notice of admissions during a full moon, but be inattentive to the moon when admissions occur during other nights of the month
FRAMING The way a problem is presented can drastically effect the way we view it 90% of the population will be saved with this medication OR 10% of the population will die despite this medication You should not drink more than two drinks per day OR You should not drink more than 730 drinks a year
CREATIVITY Imaginative thinking Often involves thinking outside the box. CONVERGENT THINKING Looking for 1 answer DIVERGENT THINKING Looking for many answers or solutions like when we brainstorm for ideas