Thinking m29

Thinking & Concepts Thinking Cognition : the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, and remembering. Cognitive Psychologists Concept formation Problem solving Decision making Judgment formation Concepts A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people. Analogous to hierarchies and schemas. Prototype : The best example, as defined by the individual.

Thinking

Cognition : the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, and remembering.

Cognitive Psychologists

Concept formation

Problem solving

Decision making

Judgment formation

Concepts

A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.

Analogous to hierarchies and schemas.

Prototype : The best example, as defined by the individual.

Concepts and Categories Classical Categories Aka Aristotelian, all-or-none, rule-governed Grandmother = mother of a parent Even number = integer exactly divisible by 2 Family Resemblance Categories Solves for an unknown Is an SUV a car or a truck? Is garlic a fruit or a vegetable? Did Bill and Monica have sex?

Classical Categories

Aka Aristotelian, all-or-none, rule-governed

Grandmother = mother of a parent

Even number = integer exactly divisible by 2

Family Resemblance Categories

Solves for an unknown

Is an SUV a car or a truck?

Is garlic a fruit or a vegetable?

Did Bill and Monica have sex?

Problem Solving Three categories of problem solving: Algorithm Heuristics Insight

Three categories of problem solving:

Algorithm

Heuristics

Insight

Algorithm Methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solution. Slow, but guaranteed results. Cracking a safe: 0-0-0, 0-0-1, 0-0-2, … List every word in the English language that begins with the letter “Q”

Methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solution.

Slow, but guaranteed results.

Cracking a safe: 0-0-0, 0-0-1, 0-0-2, …

List every word in the English language that begins with the letter “Q”

Heuristic Rule-of-thumb strategy that allows for judgment and guesses. Faster, but more error prone. List all the words in the English language that starts with the letter “Q” – you know the second letter is a “U” and the third letter is also a vowel.

Rule-of-thumb strategy that allows for judgment and guesses.

Faster, but more error prone.

List all the words in the English language that starts with the letter “Q” – you know the second letter is a “U” and the third letter is also a vowel.

Insight A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem. Not a strategy-based solution! Wolfgang Kohler’s experiments (1925) on chimpanzee insight. Sultan the chimpanzee.

A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem.

Not a strategy-based solution!

Wolfgang Kohler’s experiments (1925) on chimpanzee insight.

Sultan the chimpanzee.

Obstacles to Problem Solving Confirmation Bias Assuming that each card has a triangle on one side and a circle on the other, which card(s) need to be turned over to test this statement: “ Every card that has a black triangle on one side has a red circle on the other.” Fixation Mental Set Functional Fixedness

Confirmation Bias

Assuming that each card has a triangle on one side and a circle on the other, which card(s) need to be turned over to test this statement:

“ Every card that has a black triangle on one side has a red circle on the other.”

Fixation

Mental Set

Functional Fixedness

Decisions and Judgments Misusing Heuristics The Representativeness Heuristic The Availability Heuristic Overconfidence Stocks – can only buy when someone sells Framing Decisions Condoms are 98% effective … Doublespeak.

Misusing Heuristics

The Representativeness Heuristic

The Availability Heuristic

Overconfidence

Stocks – can only buy when someone sells

Framing Decisions

Condoms are 98% effective …

Doublespeak.

Belief Bias Beliefs are often stronger than logic. Belief Perseverance

Beliefs are often stronger than logic.

Belief Perseverance

Artificial Intelligence The science of designing and programming computer systems to do intelligent things and to simulate human thought processes such as intuitive reasoning, learning, and understanding language. Computers: Use algorithmic problem solving. Use serial processing. Cannot discern tone.

The science of designing and programming computer systems to do intelligent things and to simulate human thought processes such as intuitive reasoning, learning, and understanding language.

Computers:

Use algorithmic problem solving.

Use serial processing.

Cannot discern tone.