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