Decision Making and Intelligence Flashcards
what is the rational choice theory?
view that we make decisions by determing how likely something is to happen, judging the value of the outcome, and then multiplying the two
ex. 10% chance of getting $500 vs. 20% chance of getting $2000
lottery ticket irrationality - not motivated if there is a lower value (influenced by irrational things)
what are we better at estimating, frequency or probability?
we are good at estimating frequency but not probability
ex. 10 out of 1000 vs. 1%
we like to think rational, therefore we are better with frequency
what are framing effects?
when people give different answers to the same problem depending on how the problem is phrased
ex. 70% surviving vs. 30% dying
when say 70% surviving it sounds much better than when saying 30% die
you think differently when focused on the negative aspect
*framing influences thought
what is the sunk-cost fallacy?
people make decisions about a current situation based on what they have previously invested in the situation
ex. if you already spent $100, would you stay home comfotably or go if the weather is miserable? - already spent the money, so you would go
we sometimes do fail as decision makers
why do we make decision making errors?
due to the prospect theory and frequency format hypothesis
what is the prospect theory?
people choose to take on risk when evaluating potential losses and avoid risks when evaluating potential gains
people simplify available info (certainty effect)
people choose the prospect with the best value (expected utility)
*take more risks to avoid losses than to make gains
what is the frequency format hypothesis?
our minds evolved to notice how frequently things occur, not how likey they are to occur
probability is a more recent mathematical tool in evolution - not as good at estimating frequency because brains haven’t fully evolved (we therefore make errors)
how does the brain affect decision making?
people with prefrontal lobe damage do not show emotional reactions during risky decision making - therefore do not evaluate risk as well
insensitivity to future consequences
greater activation in healthy individuals
similar effects in substance-dependent individuals
what are the results of the neuroscience of risky decision making in dealing with a card game?
at first, control group losses and gains about the same amount
however after practice, the control group learns and loses less and gains more
the patients do not physically react and don’t have the same learned response with anticipation
they do not learning the game - do not react and anticipate, not evaluating risk well
Hot science: sudden insight and the brain
the difference in subjective experience between a flash of insight versus analytic stragtefies is confirmed by neurologic evidence - “aha” experience
in an experi,ent, participants ahd to find associations between 3-word series (compound associates task) and report their problem solving strategy (insight or analytic)
EEG data revealed that insight problem solvers showed a burst of activity (right temporal lobe) 1/3 seconds before the solution was reported
greater activity in the anterior cingulate in the frontal lobes was ovserved in participants who used insight strategies, prior to the problem being solved
insight problem solving strategies were also more ofter used by those in a positive mood
what is intelligence? how can it be measured?
intelligence = the ability to direct one’s thinking, adapt to one’s circumstances, and learn from one’s experiences
can be measured by…
ratio IQ (a statistic obtained by dividing a person’s mental age by physical age x 100)
deviation IQ (a statistic obtained by dividing a person’s test score by the average test score of people in the same age group x100) - usually used, average IQ
*look at the normal curve of intelligence
what do intelligence tests predict?
predict performance in school
do not measure “intelligence” per se, but tasks that correlate with such
2 types - verbal and performance, combine to find how well someone can function
most widely used intelligence tests today are the Stanford-Binet and the WAIS
what are the 3 parts that make up intelligence?
memory
ex. recalling movie titles and remembering birthdays
reasoning
ex solving logic problems and making legal arguments
verbal skills
ex. giving speeches and solving crossword puzzels
what is fluid intelligence?
the ability to see abstract relationships and draw logical inferences
raven’s progressive matrices test = 3 shapes shown and you have to pick the next one that fits (gets more complex and is a very spatial task - NOT culturally determined)
more abhout abstraction
what is crystallized intelligence?
the ability to retain and use knowledge that was acquired through experience
tasks in the environment
