cognition

Algorithm

A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.

heuristic

a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms

insight

a sudden realization of a problem's solution

mental set

a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions

belief perseverance

clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

Availability heuristic

estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common

divergent thinking

expands the number of possible problem solutions

Morpheme

in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix)

phoneme

in language, the smallest distinctive sound unit

representativeness heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information

convergent thinking

narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution

hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

functional fixedness

the tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use

framing

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.