2.2 Thinking, Problem-Solving, Judgments, and Decision Making

Explain how psychological concepts and theories account for thinking, problem-solving, judgment, and decision-making. UNIT 2 Cognition

• Concepts form the basis of thought. Prototypes are the ideal example for any given concept.
• People form and modify schemas, or frameworks for thinking, through assimilation (taking in new information but not changing the schema in light of it) and accommodation (taking in new information and changing the schema to incorporate the new information).
• Algorithms address problems by attempting all possible solutions until the correct one is found.
• Heuristics address problems by using mental shortcuts to make judgments. Using heuristics can lead to errors in judgment when decisions are made according to prior expectations or stereotypes (representativeness heuristic) or recalling the first or most vivid example that comes to mind (availability heuristic).
• Decision making can be influenced by prior experiences that were successful (mental set) or circumstances surrounding a decision (priming and framing).
• Cognitive processes such as gambler’s fallacy and sunk-cost fallacy can hinder people from making good decisions.
• Executive functions are cognitive processes that allow individuals to generate, organize, plan, and carry out goal-directed behaviors and experience critical thinking.
• Creativity is a way of thinking that includes generating novel ideas and engaging in divergent (versus convergent) thinking. Creative thinking is hindered by functional fixedness.