Unit 7B Thinking And Language

Question 1

Cognition

Answer 1

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Question 2

Algorithm

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Heuristics

Answer 3

simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently
-> faster, error prone

Question 4

Availability heuristic

Answer 4

mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person’s mind when evaluating a specific topic

Question 5

Insight

Answer 5

sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

Question 6

Intuition

Answer 6

effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought, as contrasted with explicit, conscious reasoning

Question 7

Confirmation bias

Answer 7

tendency to search for information that confirms one’s preconceptions

Question 8

Functional fixedness

Answer 8

tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving

Question 9

Fixation

Answer 9

inability to see a problem from a new perspective

Question 10

Mental set

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Overconfidence

Answer 11

tendency to be more confident than correct–to overestimate the accuracy of one’s beliefs and judgments

Question 12

Belief bias

Answer 12

tendency for one’s preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning, sometimes by making invalid conclusions seem valid

Question 13

Framing

Answer 13

the way an issue is posed; affects decisions

Ex bumped vs smashed

Question 14

Convergent thinking/reasoning

Answer 14

mode of thinking used for problems that have just one correct solution-> narrowing of available solutions

Question 15

Divergent thinking/reasoning

Answer 15

mode of thinking that is original, inventive, and flexible-> expands number of possible solutions

Question 16

Language

Answer 16

spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

Question 17

Phonemes

Answer 17

smallest distinctive sound units

Question 18

Syntax

Answer 18

Sentence structure

Question 19

Semantics

Answer 19

Meaning of words

Ex: ice cream vs custard

Question 20

Representativeness heuristic

Answer 20

Process of judging likelihood of things in terms of how well they match particular prototypes

Question 21

Prototype

Answer 21

Mental image or best example of a category

Question 22

Linguistic determinism

Answer 22

Hypothesis that language determines the way we think

Question 23

Working memory

Answer 23

Newer understanding of short term memory that involves active, conscious processing of info

Question 24

Spacing effect

Answer 24

Tendency for distributed study/practice to yield better long term retention

Question 25

Language

Answer 25

Spoken, written, or signed words to communicate meaning

Question 26

Overconfidence

Answer 26

Tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgements

Question 27

Broca’s area

Answer 27

Area that controls language expression

Question 28

Creativity

Answer 28

Ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Question 29

Wernicke’s area

Answer 29

Brain area that controls language comprehension

Question 30

Recall

Answer 30

Measure of memory in which person must retrieve info learned earlier

Question 31

Storage

Answer 31

Retention of encoded info over time

Question 32

Automatic processing

Answer 32

Unconscious encoding of incidental info such as space and time

Question 33

Explicit memory

Answer 33

Memory of facts and experiences one can consciously know

Question 34

Implicit memory

Answer 34

Process of retaining info independent of conscious recollection

Question 35

Belief perseverance

Answer 35

Clinging to ones initial conceptions after they have been discredited

Question 36

Morphemes

Answer 36

Fundamental forms of language that have meaning in context (goat vs goats-> implies number)

Question 36

Syllogism

Answer 36

If these two ideas are true, then the third must also be true
A=B, B=C, then A=C

Question 36

Sensory memory

Answer 36

Brief, immediate recording of sensory info in the memory system

Question 36

Concept

Answer 36

Mental grouping of similar objects, events, or ideas

Question 37

Recognition

Answer 37

Measure of memory in which the person need only identify items perilously learned

Question 38

Mnemonics

Answer 38

Memory techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

Question 39

Heuristic

Answer 39

Thinking strategy that allows us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently