what is cognition and what are the functions of concepts? what cognitive strategies assist our problem solving and what obstacles hinder it? what is an intuition and how can the availability heuristic, overconfidence, belief perseverance and framing infl
concept
a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas or people.
prototype
a mental image or best example of a category. matching new items to a prototype provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories (as when comparing feathered creatures to a prototypical bird, such as a robin)
intuition
an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning.
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 bc of their vividness), we presume such events are common
overconfidence
the tendency to be more confident than correct - to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments
framing
the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.
algorithm
a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. contrasts w/ the usually speedier -- but also error prone use of heuristics
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; contrasts w/ strategy based solutions
fixation (mental set)
a tendency ti 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 supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence
cognition
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating.
