PSY 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: K. Anders Ericsson, Availability Heuristic, Representativeness Heuristic
Document Summary
We are influenced by the same principles that produce learning in rats and pigeons. Cognition the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating. Concepts a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people. To further simplify things, we organize concepts into category hierarchies. Prototypes a mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to a prototype provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories (as when comparing feathered creatures to a prototypical bird, such as a robin) Some problems we solve through trial and error. Algorithm a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier but also more error-prone use of heuristics. Heuristics a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms. Sometimes, the problem-solving strategy seems to be no strategy at all.
