Problem Solving Strategies and Judgement

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Questions and Answers

What is a technique used to reduce functional fixedness and encourage creative problem-solving?

Emotional weighting

Base-rate analysis

Mental set recalibration

Generic-parts-technique (correct)

What does the availability heuristic influence in judgement?

The ease of recalling events (correct)

The severity of consequences

The accuracy of base rate information

The overall judgement under uncertainty

What common error involves ignoring general probabilities when making judgements?

Base-rate neglect (correct)

Availability heuristic

Functional fixedness

Confirmation bias

Which factor is NOT mentioned as influencing human judgement under uncertainty?

Sample size Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of inductive reasoning?

It draws general conclusions from specific observations. Signup and view all the answers

How is the representativeness heuristic defined?

Estimation of event probability based on its resemblance to a category Signup and view all the answers

How can biases affect reasoning according to the information provided?

They lead to the acceptance of logically invalid conclusions. Signup and view all the answers

What emotional factor can affect the availability heuristic?

Affect heuristic Signup and view all the answers

What role do mental models play in reasoning?

They guide reasoning by representing possible states of affairs. Signup and view all the answers

What is functional fixedness primarily associated with?

Limited problem-solving abilities Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about heuristics is incorrect?

All heuristics lead to accurate results. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes informal reasoning from formal reasoning?

Informal reasoning is based on context and knowledge rather than formal logic. Signup and view all the answers

What can be said about human judgment and decision making based on the content provided?

They are complex and influenced by factors beyond pure logic. Signup and view all the answers

What principle does the 'Linda Problem' illustrate?

Junction fallacy Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason we are more sensitive to losses than to gains?

Loss aversion Signup and view all the answers

In the context of decision making, what does prospect theory suggest?

Our reference point affects our perception of gains and losses. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true regarding framing effects?

Positive framing can lead to more favorable decisions. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior describes the tendency to continue investing in a failing venture due to prior investments?

Sunk-cost effect Signup and view all the answers

What emotional influence can lead individuals to become more risk-averse?

Anxiety Signup and view all the answers

Which reasoning type involves drawing valid conclusions from premises?

Deductive reasoning Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario illustrates the concept of framing effects effectively?

Being more inclined to buy meat labeled as '95% lean' rather than '5% fat.' Signup and view all the answers

What is one potential issue with progress monitoring in problem-solving?

It may result in fixation on ineffective strategies. Signup and view all the answers

What does the availability heuristic often lead individuals to overestimate?

The danger of flying based on media coverage. Signup and view all the answers

In analogical problem-solving, what is crucial for success?

Recognizing relevant analogies and their level of similarity. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes insight in problem-solving?

An 'Aha!' moment after a period of impasse. Signup and view all the answers

How does incubation contribute to problem-solving?

By temporarily setting aside the problem, allowing for indirect processing. Signup and view all the answers

What does Representational Change Theory suggest is the cause of problems in problem-solving?

Incorrect representation of the problem. Signup and view all the answers

When is incubation likely to be more beneficial for problem-solving?

When there are multiple potential solutions available. Signup and view all the answers

What does the idea of 'sleeping on a problem' suggest about problem-solving?

It can help by allowing the brain to forget misleading information. Signup and view all the answers

What is one example of a strategy for emotional regulation according to Gross and Thompson's model?

Situation Selection Signup and view all the answers

How does anxiety specifically influence cognitive processes?

It increases risk aversion. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'Attentional Bias' refer to in the context of anxiety?

Preferential attention to threatening stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

Which emotional regulation strategy involves reinterpretation to change emotional impact?

Cognitive Change Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant note about the effectiveness of emotional regulation strategies?

Their effectiveness varies based on situation and individual differences. Signup and view all the answers

Which cognitive bias in anxiety is characterized by a negative interpretation of ambiguous information?

Interpretive Bias Signup and view all the answers

What is one effect of subliminal stimuli in relation to emotional responses?

They can influence mood and emotional responses without conscious perception. Signup and view all the answers

Which emotion is associated with increased risk-taking and altered perceptions of worth?

Sadness Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Problem Solving

There are multiple different approaches to problem-solving.
Means-end analysis is more sophisticated than the other approaches.
Progress monitoring involves evaluating progress towards the goal and changing strategies if needed.
Availability heuristic relies on readily available information in memory to make judgments.
Analogical problem-solving leverages similarities between the current problem and past experiences.
The effectiveness of analogical problem-solving depends on recognizing relevant analogies and identifying the appropriate level of similarity.
Insight is characterized by the "Aha!" moment, where a solution suddenly emerges after a period of impasse.
Incubation, temporarily setting aside a problem, can also facilitate finding a solution.
Representational change theory suggests that blocks in problem-solving stem from incorrect problem representation.

Judgement Under Uncertainty

Judgement involves estimating the likelihood of events to guide actions.
Factors such as information quantity, wording, and emotions can influence judgement.
Availability heuristic leads to overestimating the frequency of events based on how easily we can recall them.
Base-rate neglect occurs when general probabilities are ignored during judgement.
Representativeness heuristic judges the probability of an event based on how representative it seems of a category, often ignoring relevant information.
Conjunction fallacy judges the probability of two events occurring together as higher than the probability of one event occurring alone.

Decision Making

We are more sensitive to losses than gains, a phenomenon known as loss aversion.
Prospect theory suggests that our decisions are influenced by a reference point (usually our current state) and our aversion to losses.
Framing effects influence our choices based on how information is presented, with positive framing being more effective.
Sunk-cost effect leads to continuing investment in something based on past investments, even if it's not the optimal choice.
Emotions, particularly anxiety, can make us risk-averse.
Social context plays a role in decision-making, often leading to sunk-cost behavior due to the need to justify our decisions.

Reasoning

Deductive reasoning draws logically valid conclusions from given premises.
Inductive reasoning draws general conclusions from specific observations.
Mental models guide our reasoning process but reliance on heuristics and biases can lead to errors.
Informal reasoning draws plausible conclusions based on available information, not just formal logic.

Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is essential for managing our responses to challenging situations.
Gross and Thompson's (2007) process model categorizes emotional regulation strategies based on when they are employed.
Distraction and reappraisal are effective strategies for regulating emotions.
The effectiveness of a particular strategy depends on the specific situation and individual differences.

Emotion's Influence on Cognition

Emotions can affect attention, memory, judgement, and decision-making.
Examples include anxiety’s correlation with reduced attentional breadth and increased risk aversion, and sadness’ correlation with more risky decisions and altered perceptions of worth.

Anxiety and Cognitive Biases

Attentional bias refers to a preferential focus on threatening stimuli.
Interpretive bias refers to a tendency to interpret ambiguous information negatively.
Even non-anxious individuals exhibit attentional biases towards threatening images.

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Description

This quiz covers various problem-solving approaches including means-end analysis, progress monitoring, and the availability heuristic. It also delves into concepts such as analogical problem-solving, insight, and incubation techniques. Test your understanding of these strategies and how they relate to effective judgement under uncertainty.