Phase II Part 5

Cognition: The mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating. An example of cognitive behavior would be a behavior that is done to complete a task. If someone were to ask me a question, I would think about it and retrieve the knowledge in my brain and then communicate the answer to whoever asked the question.

Concept: A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people. An example of a concept would be thinking of something with no cognitive effort. A concept would be how one would picture something like a door. Although there are many different types of doors, everyone has the same concept on what a door looks like and how it functions.

Prototype: A mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to the prototype provides a quick and easy method for including items in a category. An example of a prototype would be when one would think about a house. A simple four-sided house would probably pop up in one’s mind even though there are many different types and characteristics of a house.

Algorithm: A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. An example of an algorithm is any food recipe. The end result is the food and there are instructions on how to complete the dish. If the directions are followed correctly, then the end product will come about.

Heuristic: A simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently. An example of such is if I am trying to solve a math problem, but I am struggling, I can draw a picture to go along with it to help solve the problem faster.

Insight: A sudden and often read novel realization of the solution to the problem. An example of this is when I am working on a math test and cannot remember how to do a certain problem. I then suddenly may remember or become aware of the steps to get to the solution.

Confirmation bias: A tendency to search for information that confirms one’s perceptions. An example of this is when I am trying to solve a problem. I will only do research to try and confirm my way of solving the problem, and not the way of others.