Chapter 8: Cognition and Intelligence

Refers to active efforts to discover what must be done to achieve a goal that is not readily attainable

The tendency to percieve an item nly in terms of its most common use

Exists when people persist in using problem-solving strategies that have worked in the past

Occurs when people suddenly discover the correct solution to a problem after struggling with it for a while

Involves trying possible solutions sequentially and discarding those that are in error until one works

A guiding principle or "rule of thumb" used in solving problems or making decisions

Entails selecting the alternative at each choice point that appears to lead most directly to one's goal

Involves evaluating alternatives and making choices among them

Asserts that people tend to use simple strategies in decision making that focus on only a few facets of available options and often result in "irrational" decisions that are less than optimal

Involves making choices under conditions of uncertainty

Involves basing the estimated probability of an event on the ease with which relevant instances come to mind

Involves basing the estimated probability of an event on how similar it is to the typical prototype of that event

Occurs when people estimate that the odds of two uncertain events happening together are greater than the odds of either event happening alone

The belief that the odds of a chance event increase if the event hasn't occurred recently

The mental ability of a child in terms of chronological age