Mod. 27: Thinking

In the last few months of 2001, many Americans believed flying was more dangerous than driving. This led to a major increase in traffic fatalities. This flaw in reasoning is known as:

the availability heuristic

A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence is known as a(n) _____.

confirmation bias

To solve a problem, we often make use of a simple thinking strategy. This strategy will allow us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently by following a(n) _____.

heuristic

To solve a problem, we often make use of a simple thinking strategy. This strategy will allow us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently by following a(n):

heuristic

While studying chimpanzees, _____ observed that animals have the ability to display insight.

Wolfgang Köhler

In one study, monkeys first learn to classify pictures of cats and dogs. Then, they are shown images that are "catlike" or "doglike." Which of the following responses suggests that monkeys are able to form concepts?

Certain frontal lobe neurons fire in response to the images.

Sally could not find the artichokes in the supermarket. As a result, she went up and down every row and examined every product in order to find them. This is an example of a problem-solving tool known as an _____.

algorithm

To solve a problem, sometimes we resort to trial and error. If we want a guaranteed solution, we may follow a(n) _____, which is a step-by-step procedure.

algorithm

The garage where Quinn works has specific step-by-step procedures, or _____, for fixing car engines.

algorithms

Psychologists refer to the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating as _____.

cognition

Shawna is about to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and is planning to attend graduate school. Her primary interests are in how people are able to store new information into memory, problem solving, and how people communicate with others. She is mostly interested in mental activities known as _____.

cognition

John has a harder time remembering that tomatoes are considered a fruit than are apples. This is because apples more closely resemble his _____ of fruit.

prototype

We more quickly recognize that a dog is a mammal than that a whale is a mammal because a dog more closely resembles our _____ of a mammal.

prototype

_____ allow us to quickly categorize new objects and events with little cognitive effort.

concepts

A few days before flying to San Francisco, Jim watched a documentary about the 1906 earthquake that devastated the city. Even though the chance of getting caught in an earthquake while in San Francisco was relatively minor, Jim decided to cancel his trip. This best illustrates the _____.

availability heuristic

In her research, Professor Kyoto seeks to identify circumstances in a person's bias that are especially likely to impede effective problem solving. Her research is most likely in the area of:

cognition psychology

Tyler loves dogs. Anytime he sees an animal, he asks his parents whether or not that animal is a dog. Eventually, he is able to differentiate dogs from other animals, as well as recognize both large and small dogs as dogs. These experiences are helping to shape his _____ about dogs.

concept

Students will tend to study the same way for every class they are taking, especially when they have been successful in past classes. This is an example of a(n) _____.

mental set