Unit 2: Problem Solving Vocab

Question 1

Insight

Answer 1

• A sudden realization of the solution to a problem
• If you don’t use heuristics and algorithms, then you use insight

Question 1

Algorithm

Answer 1

• Step by step procedures that ultimately guarantees a solution to the problem.
• The problem with them is that they took a lot of time and effort.

Question 2

Heuristic

Answer 2

Usually we resort to heuristics which are simpler strategies that help solve problems more efficiently and faster but the answers are not as reliable as using algorithms.

Question 3

Confirmation Bias

Answer 3

This is when we seek evidence that supports our ideas and disregard any other information that contradicts with original beliefs.

Question 4

Fixation

Answer 4

The inability to see a problem from a different perspective and by using a different approach (mental set and functional fixedness)

Question 5

Intuition

Answer 5

The feeling in your gut when you instinctively know what you’re doing is wrong or right.

Question 6

Overconfidence

Answer 6

Overestimating the accuracy of our knowledge and judgements.

Question 7

Framing

Answer 7

The way we present an issue can affect decisions and judgements.

Question 8

Creativity

Question 9

Representativeness Heuristic

Answer 9

judging the likelihood of things of how well they match our particular prototypes.

Question 10

Availability Heuristic

Answer 10

Judging the likelihood of events based on the availability in memory

Question 11

Planning Fallacy

Question 12

Belief Perseverance

Answer 12

Believing in one’s opinion and judgement even after knowing there is evidence contradicting it

Question 13

Motivated Reasoning

Question 14

Cognition

Answer 14

refers to all the mental activities having to do with thinking

Question 15

Metacognition

Answer 15

• refers to our thinking when planning and assessing our understanding and performance
• “beyond cognition” or thinking about our thinking

Question 16

Concepts

Answer 16

mental groupings of similar objects, events, and people

Question 17

Assimilate

Answer 17

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Question 18

Accommodate

Answer 18

adjusting your existing ideas or understanding to take in new information that doesn’t fit with what you already know

Question 19

Creativity

Answer 19

the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Question 20

Convergent thinking

Answer 20

A way of thinking that focuses on one best solution to a problem (involves looking into information and narrowing options)

Question 21

Divergent thinking

Answer 21

A way of thinking that produces many solutions to a problem involving thinking outside of the box instead of focusing on one answer

Question 22

Functional Fixedness

Answer 22

The tendency to use things in terms of their function and not for other things

Question 23

Mental set

Answer 23

The tendency to approach a problem in one particular way. Particularly a way you have used in the past and has been successful

Question 24

Belief Bias

Answer 24

The tendency for one’s preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning. Sometimes making invalid conclusions valid or vice versa.

Question 25

Prototype

Answer 25

mental image or best example of a category that involves all the features we associate with a category