Problem Solving DecisionMaking Algorithms problem solving strategy that
Problem Solving & Decision-Making
Algorithms • problem solving strategy that guarantees the solution to the problem • not always the most efficient method • examples: – length x height = area of rectangle – checking every shelf of every aisle in a grocery store until you find what you’re looking for
Heuristics • simple rules that makes a solution more likely & efficient but does not guarantee a solution • examples: – “i before e except after c” – checking in the canned goods section to find a particular brand of baked beans
Insight • sudden realization of the solution to a problem
Thinking: Problems Solving Problems
Mental Set • tendency to approach a problem in a particular way • may or may not be helpful in solving a new problem • examples: – how you start Sudoku or a puzzle – what you do when you lose your keys
Fixation • a mental set that hinders the solution of a problem • you have to think beyond the mental set to solve the new problem • example: Henry Ford’s assembly lines, Nine. Dot Problem page 436
Confirmation Bias • the tendency to focus on information that supports one’s preconceptions (selective use of evidence) • example: – grades in school – political candidates’ speeches
Availability Heuristic • judge the likelihood of an event by the ease in which instances can be brought to mind • examples: – hear thunder, expect rain – poor indicator: lottery winners
Overconfidence • tendency to be more confident than correct when estimating the accuracy of one’s beliefs and judgments • Examples: – time it will take to study for a test or complete a project
End Class Notes – Fall 2011
Concept • mental grouping based on shared similarities • helps us categorize items in the environment
Prototype • typical best example of a concept • the closer a new object is to our concept prototype the easier it is to categorize it
Concept Hierarchy • way to keep mental information organized from basic concepts to specific ones Desserts
Concept Hierarchy
Framing • the way an issue is worded or presented can influence decisions and judgments Condoms have a 95 percent success rate in stopping HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (this also means that) Condoms have a 5 percent failure rate in stopping HIV, the virus that causes AIDS
Belief Perseverance • clinging to one’s initial beliefs even after new information discredits the basis on which they were formed • examples: Lord & others 1979 study: – capital punishment does help prevent crime – capital punishment does not reduce crime rates First Impressions
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