PSYCH Exam 2 - 26

What is a concept and what is a prototype? Define the terms and provide two examples of each.

Concept is a mental categories in which we place objects. Prototypes is the mental image of the best example of a concept

Define and provide at least one example of each of the following obstacles to problem solving (and explain why they're obstacles): Confirmation bias Availability heuristic Functional fixedness, mental set (what's the difference between these?) Framing effects Overconfidence bias Belief perseverance

Confirmation bias: use information that confirms our beliefs; when we seek to confirm... Availability heuristic: judging the likelihood of an event on their availability in memory; do more words begin with R or have R as the 3rd letter? Functional fixedness: a block to problem solving Mental set: using things that have worked in the past Framing effects: how we present information Overconfidence: being more confident than correct; thinking you can put off work and still get it done well Belief perseverance: clinging to one's initial beliefs and rejecting information that contradicts your ideas

What did the "Cheap Necklace Problem" demonstrate the importance of?

Insight- group 2 took a 4 hour break and then gave the answer

Which of the above obstacles are you likely facing if you wait until the night before the exam to study and think you'll do fine on the exam?

Overconfidence error

What are the four problem solving strategies that we discussed in class? Describe each strategy and how each might be used differently to solve a problem.

Trial and Error- trying different solution and eliminating those that don't work Insight- when a solution just pops up; aha! Algorithm- step-by-step strategy that gives an accurate solution Heuristics- mental shortcuts, fast but not as accurate

heuristic

a mental shortcut Fast but not always accurate

algorithm

a step-by-step problem solving strategy to produce a solution. Slow but accurate

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, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning; gut feeling

belief perseverance

clinging to one's initial beliefs after the basis; holding on to your ideas over time and rejecting information that contradicts your ideas

framing

different ways of presenting the same information evoke different responses EX; you tell group A that the one-month survival rate is 90% and you tell group B that there is 10% mortality in the first month

representativeness heuristic

expanding the number of possible problem solutions; creative thinking that diverges in different directions.

fixation

in thinking, the inability to see a problem from a new perspective; an obstacle to problem solving

availability heuristic

judging the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory

cognition

mental activities associated with acquiring, retaining and using knowledge

concept

mental categories in which we place objects and events

prototype

mental images of the best example of a concept

convergent thinking

narrowing the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution.

confirmation bias

tendacy to notice and use information that confirms our beliefs

overconfidence

tendency to be more confident than correct

creativity

the ability to produce new and valuable ideas.

insight

the solution seems to pop to mind all of a sudden- AHA!