Problem-Solving Strategies and Biases

Questions and Answers

What is an algorithm?

The ability to produce valuable ideas

A method that guarantees solving a particular problem (correct)

A simple thinking strategy

A sudden realization of a problem's solution

What defines a heuristic?

A method that guarantees solving problems without errors

A simple strategy that is often efficient but may lead to errors (correct)

The ability to produce novel ideas

A sudden realization of a solution

What is insight?

A sudden realization of the solution to a problem

Define creativity.

The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas Signup and view all the answers

What is confirmation bias?

Searching for information that supports our preconceptions Signup and view all the answers

What does fixation refer to in problem-solving?

The inability to see a problem from a new perspective Signup and view all the answers

What is a mental set?

A tendency to approach a problem in one particular way Signup and view all the answers

Define functional fixedness.

Thinking of things in terms of their usual functions Signup and view all the answers

What is the representative heuristic?

Judging likelihood based on how well they seem to represent prototypes Signup and view all the answers

What does the availability heuristic estimate?

The likelihood of events based on their memory availability Signup and view all the answers

What is overconfidence?

Being more confident than correct in judgments Signup and view all the answers

Define belief perseverance.

Clinging to initial conceptions after they have been discredited Signup and view all the answers

What is intuition?

An effortless, immediate feeling or thought Signup and view all the answers

What is framing in decision-making?

The way an issue is posed Signup and view all the answers

Define language.

Our spoken, written, or signed words and ways to communicate meaning Signup and view all the answers

What is a phoneme?

The smallest distinctive sound unit in language Signup and view all the answers

What is a morpheme?

The smallest unit that carries meaning in a language Signup and view all the answers

Define grammar.

A system of rules that enables communication and understanding in a language Signup and view all the answers

What is semantics?

The study of meaning derived from morphemes, words, and sentences Signup and view all the answers

What is syntax?

The rules for combining words into sentences in a language Signup and view all the answers

What are babbling stages in speech development?

The stage at about 4 months where infants utter various sounds Signup and view all the answers

What is the one-word stage?

The stage from about age 1 to 2 when children speak mostly in single words Signup and view all the answers

What is the two-word stage?

The stage beginning around age 2 where children speak mostly two-word statements Signup and view all the answers

What is telegraphic speech?

Early speech stage where children speak using mostly nouns and verbs Signup and view all the answers

What is linguistic determinism?

Whorf's hypothesis that language determines the way we think Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Problem-Solving and Thinking Strategies

Algorithms: Methodical and logical procedures that guarantee solving problems; more reliable but slower than heuristics.
Heuristics: Simplified strategies for judgment that speed up problem-solving; often more error-prone than algorithms.
Insight: Sudden and novel realization of a solution, contrasting with strategy-based methods.
Creativity: The capacity to generate unique and valuable ideas.

Cognitive Biases and Mental Blocks

Confirmation Bias: Tendency to seek information that supports existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.
Fixation: Inability to view a problem from new perspectives, often leading to stagnation in problem-solving.
Mental Set: A habitual approach to problem-solving based on past success, which may limit creative solutions.
Functional Fixedness: The inclination to see objects only in their traditional uses, hindering innovative solutions.

Judgments and Decision-Making

Representative Heuristic: Evaluates probabilities based on how well something matches a prototype, potentially overlooking relevant data.
Availability Heuristic: Assesses likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind; can distort perceived commonality.
Overconfidence: Excessive belief in one’s own judgments and abilities; often leads to errors.
Belief Perseverance: Continuation of holding initial beliefs despite evidence against them.

Language Development

Intuition: Automatic and immediate feelings or thoughts that occur without conscious reasoning.
Framing: The presentation of information which can influence decision-making and judgment significantly.

Language Components

Language: Systems of spoken, written, or signed communication that convey meaning.
Phoneme: The smallest sound unit in language that can distinguish meaning.
Morpheme: The smallest meaning-carrying unit in language, including words or parts of words.
Grammar: A set of rules governing language structure that enables effective communication.
Semantics: The rules that define meaning within language; includes the study of meaning.
Syntax: Rules for constructing grammatically correct sentences.

Stages of Language Development

Babbling Stages: Starting around 4 months old, infants produce varied sounds not yet tied to their language.
One-Word Stage: From 1 to 2 years old, children primarily communicate with single words.
Two-Word Stage: Beginning around age 2, children form simple two-word sentences.
Telegraphic Speech: Early speech format where children convey meaning with minimal vocabulary, often with just nouns and verbs.

Theoretical Perspectives

Linguistic Determinism: Whorf's theory that language shapes thought patterns and perceptions of reality.

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Description

Explore various problem-solving strategies such as algorithms, heuristics, and creativity. This quiz delves into cognitive biases like confirmation bias and mental blocks that can impact decision-making and innovation. Test your understanding of these crucial concepts in psychology.