Psychology: thinking and learning
Mental set
A tendency to approach a problem in one particular way (often in a way that has been successful in the past)
confirmation bias
tendency to search for info that confirms one's ideas and ignore or distort contradictory evidence
creativity
the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas
Babbling stage
4 months, "goo-goo" 10 months babbles become more meaningful. Wernickes develops before brocas
Concept
A mental group
Insight
A sudden realization of a solution
receptive language
Ability comprehend speech. babies start to discriminate sounds at 4 months
productive language
Ability to produce speech
one word stage
Age 1. Babies use single words to express ideas. "Go" "mama"
two word stage
Age 2. Two word phrases
Intuition
An effortless, automatic feeling or thought (as opposed to conscious reasoning) Influenced by hindsight bias, heuristics, overconfidence
Skinner
Behaviorist. (Nurture). Associative learning. Reinforcement. Modeling.
Prototype
Best "fit" image of a concept
belief perseverance
Clinging to ones initial ideas after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited. -first impressions . "Once beliefs formed and got justified it takes more compelling evidence to change them then it did to create them"
telegraphic speech
In two word stage. Follows proper syntax "come mama"
Chomsky
Inborn universal grammar (nature). "Language acquisition device". We're hardwired and predisposed to learn language
Framing
Judgement affected by the way an issue is presented. 75% Lean vs. 25% fat
Representativeness heuristic
Judgement based on how people or things represent mental prototypes
Availability heuristic
Judging the likelihood of events based on mental availability. -if mental images are readily available we presume events are common
Linguistic determination
Language determines thought
cognition
Mental activities, -thinking, -knowing, -remembering
Schema
Mental framework from which we organize and interpret info
Algorithm
Methodical problem solving procedure. -slow but accurate ex. Trying every key on a key ring
convergent thinking
Produce a single solution -intelligence tests -math problems
Divergent thinking
Produces multiple solutions. -brainstorming, imagination
Heuristic
Simple problem solving strategy. -faster, but error prone
Language
Spoken. Written, or signed words, and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning
Semantics
System of rules regarding meaning ex. "-ed" means past
Syntax
System of rules regarding order and organization of language ex. Adjectives come before nouns
Phonemes
The smallest distinctive sound unit t,s,th,sh,sch
Morphemes
The smallest unit that carries meaning. -s= plural -ed= past tense pre= before
Overconfidence
The tendency to be more confident than correct-to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments. -political decisions -economic decisions -social judgments
functional fixedness
The tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions
Fixation
Umbrella term. Inability to see a problem from a new perspective
linguistic relativity
language influences thought
grammar
system of language rules that enable us to communicate and understand others