CHAPTER 8

Question 1

cognition

Answer 1

The mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and comprehension through thoughts and experiences

Question 2

thinking

Answer 2

the mental manipulation of the gathered knowledge of the world

Question 3

analogical representations

Answer 3

mental representations that have some of the physical characteristics of what they represent
- usually images, ex) a family tree depicts the relationships between relatives

Question 4

symbolic representations

Answer 4

abstract mental representations that do not correspond to the physical features of objects or ideas
- usually words, numbers, or ideas ex) the word violin stands for a musical instrument but has no correspondence to what a violin looks like or sounds like

Question 5

categorizations

Answer 5

grouping things based on shared properties, reduces the amount of knowledge we must hold in memory

Question 6

prototype model

Answer 6

a way of thinking about concepts: within each category, there is a best example- a prototype- for that category, base all other objects based on similarity to the prototype

Question 7

exemplar model

Answer 7

a way of thinking about concepts: all members of a category are examples; together they form the concept and determine category membership, the definition of the category is made up of all the members of the group

Question 8

schemas

Answer 8

schemas help us perceive, organize, understand, and process information

Question 9

stereotypes

Answer 9

cognitive schemas that allow for easy, fast processing of information about people based on their membership in certain groups

Question 10

gender roles

Answer 10

prescribed behaviors for female and males within a culture, unconscious schema that is potentially problematic

Question 11

scripts

Answer 11

is a schema that directs behavior over time within a situation

Question 12

decision making

Answer 12

a cognitive process that results in the selection of a course of action or belief from several options

Question 13

normative decision theory

Question 14

utility

Question 15

expected utility theory

Question 16

descriptive utility theory

Question 17

confirmation bias

Answer 17

focusing only on information that supports already held beliefs and ignoring information that doesnt match

Question 18

hindsight bias

Answer 18

when events turn out contrary to expectation, people create after the fact explanations

Question 19

anchoring

Answer 19

the tendency, in making judgements, to rely on the first piece of information encountered or information that comes most quickly to mind

Question 20

framing

Answer 20

in decision making, an emphasis on the potential losses or potential gains from at least one alternative

Question 21

availability heuristic

Answer 21

making a decision based on the answer that comes most easily to mind

Question 22

representativeness heuristic

Answer 22

the tendency to place a person or object in a category if the person or object is similar to our prototype for this category

Question 23

affective heuristic

Question 24

affective forecasting

Answer 24

the tendency for people to overestimate how events will make them feel in the future

Question 25

problem solving

Answer 25

finding a way around an obstacle to reach a goal

Question 26

subgoals

Answer 26

breaking the problem into smaller objectives

Question 27

restructuring

Answer 27

a new way of thinking about a problem that aids its solution

Question 28

functional fixedness

Answer 28

in problem solving, having fixed ideas about the typical functions of objects

Question 29

algorithm

Answer 29

a guideline that if followed correctly, will always yield the correct answer

Question 30

working backward

Answer 30

proceeding the goal state to the initial state when the appropriate steps for solving a problem are not clear

Question 31

insight

Answer 31

the sudden realization of a solution to a problem

Question 32

paradox of choice

Answer 32

the idea that many people are unsatisfied with their decision when there are many options to choose from

Question 33

maximizers vs satisficers

Answer 33

maximizers- seek to identify the perfect choice among a set of options satisficers- seek to find a "good enough" choice that meets minimum requirements

Question 34

intelligence

Answer 34

the ability to use knowledge to reason, make decisions, make sense of events, solve problems, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and adapt to environmental changes

Question 35

psychometric approach

Answer 35

focuses on how people perform on standardized tests that asses mental abilities

Question 36

aptitude and achievement tests

Answer 36

achievement- asses current levels of skills aptitude- attempt to predict what tasks people would be good at in the future

Question 37

mental age

Answer 37

an assessment of a childs intellectual standing compared with that of same-age peers; determined by comparing the child's test score with the average score for children of each chronological age

Question 38

intelligence quotient

Answer 38

an index of intelligence computed by dividing a child's estimated mental age by the childs chronological age, then multiplying this number by 100

Question 39

normal distribution

Answer 39

IQ scores form a bell curve, most people are right around the average, and fewer and fewer people at the extremes

Question 40

general intellience (g)

Answer 40

the idea that one general factor underlies intelligence

Question 41

fluid vs crystallized intelligence

Answer 41

fluid- the ability to understand abstract relationships and think logically without prior knowledge crystallized- involves knowledge acquired through experience and using it to solve problems

Question 42

multiple intelligences

Answer 42

the idea that more than one type of intelligence exists

Question 43

triarchic theory of intelligence

Answer 43

Sternberg (1999), three types of intelligence: analytical, creative, and practical. makes intuitive sense but some criticize the lack of evidence

Question 44

analytical intelligence

Answer 44

being good at problem solving, completing analogies, and figuring out puzzles

Question 45

creative intelligence

Answer 45

ability to gain insight and solve novel problems, to think in new and interesting ways

Question 46

practical intelligence

Answer 46

dealing with everyday tasks

Question 47

emotional intelligence

Answer 47

a form of social intelligence that emphasizes managing, recognizing, and understanding emotions and using them to guide appropriate thought and action