Chapter 9 Flashcards
(59 cards)
concepts
A mental category that groups objects, relations, activities, abstractions, or qualities having common properties
basic concepts
concepts that have a moderate number of instances and that are easier to acquire than those having few or many instances
-apple not fruit
prototype
an especially representative example of a concept
proposition
A unit of meaning that is made up of concepts and expresses a single idea
cognitive schemas
Integrated mental network of knowledge, beliefs, and expectations concerning a particular topic or aspect of the world
subconscious processes
Mental processes occurring outside of conscious awareness but accessible to consciousness when necessary (e.g., driving a car)
non conscious processes
Mental processes occurring outside of and not available to conscious awareness (e.g., relying on insight or intuition)
implicit learning
Learning that occurs when you acquire knowledge about something without being aware of how you did so and without being able to state exactly what it is you have learned
mindlessness
Mental inflexibility, inertia and obliviousness to the present context
reasoning
Drawing conclusions or inferences from observations, facts, or assumptions
formal reasoning problems
problems solved using established methods; usually a single correct solution (standardized tests)
informal reasoning problems
often no clear correct solution and you have to often decide which is the most reasonable
deductive reasoning
A tool of formal logic in which a conclusion necessarily follows from a set of observations or propositions
inductive reasoning
A tool of formal logic in which a conclusion probably follows from a set of observations or propositions or premises, but could be false
dialectical reasoning
Process in which opposing facts are weighed & compared in order to determine the best solution or resolve differences
pre-reflective stages
assumption that correct answers can be obtained through the senses or from the authorities
quasi-reflective stages
recognize limits to absolute certainty, realize judgments should be supported by reasons, yet pay attention to evidence that confirms beliefs
reflective stages
consider evidence from a variety of sources and reason dialectically
heuristic
a rule of thumb that suggests a course of action without guaranteeing an optimal solution
affect heuristic
tendency to consult one’s emotions instead of estimating probabilities objectively
availability heuristic
tendency to judge the probability of a type of event by how easy it is to think of examples or instances
framing effect
The tendency for people’s choices to be affected by how a choice is presented or framed (goal to minimize losses)
the fairness bias
A sense of fairness often takes precedence over rational self-interest when people make economic choices
the hindsight bias
The tendency to overestimate one’s ability to have predicted an event once the outcome is known; the “I knew it all along” phenomenon
