Thinking Chapter 6

Front 1

computer metaphor

Back 1

the Idea that the brain is an

information-processing organ that

operates, in some ways, like a computer

Front 2

concepts

Back 2

mental grouping of similar objects, ideas,

or experiences

Front 3

natural concepts

Back 3

mental representations of objects and

events drawn from our direct experience

Front 4

prototype

Back 4

an ideal or most representative example

of a conceptual category

Front 5

artificial concepts

Back 5

concepts denied by rules, such as word

definitions and mathematical formulas

Front 6

concept hierarchies

Back 6

levels of concepts, from most general to

most specific, in which a more general

level includes more specific concepts- as

concept of "animal" includes "dog", "giraffe",

and "butterfly."

Front 7

intuition

Back 7

the ability to make judgments without

consciously reasoning

Front 8

script

Back 8

a cluster of knowledge about sequence of

events and actions expected to occur in

particular settings

Front 9

algorithms

Back 9

problem-solving procedures or formulas

that guarantee a correct outcome, if

correctly applied.

Front 10

heuristics

Back 10

Cognitive strategies or "rules of thumb"

used as shortcuts to solve complex mental

tasks. Unlike algorithms, heuristics do not

guarantee a correct solution

Front 11

mental set

Back 11

the tendency to respond to a new

problem in the manner used for a previous

problem

Front 12

functional fixedness

Back 12

the inability to perceive a new use for an

object associated with a different purpose:

a form of metal set

Front 13

hindsight bias

Back 13

the tendency, after learning about an event,

to "second guess" or believe that one

could have predicted the even in advance

Front 14

anchoring bias

Back 14

the faulty heuristic caused by basing

(anchoring) an estimate on a completely

irrelevant quantity

Front 15

representativeness buas

Back 15

a faulty heuristic strategy based on the

presumption that, once people or events

are categorized, they share all the

features of other member in that category.

Front 16

base rate information

Back 16

the probability of a characteristic occurring in the general population

Front 17

availability bias

Back 17

a faulty heuristic strategy that estimates

probabilities based on the availability of

vivid mental images of the event

Front 18

tyranny of choice

Back 18

the impairment of effective decision

making when confronted with an

overwhelming number of choices

Front 19

experts

Back 19

individuals who possess well-organized

funds of knowledge, including the

effective problem-solving strategies, in a field.

Front 20

aptitudes

Back 20

innate potentialities (as contrasted with

abilities acquired by learning).

Front 21

intelligence

Back 21

the metal capacity to acquire knowledge,

reason, and solve problems effectively.

Front 22

mental age (MA)

Back 22

the average age at which normal (average)

individuals achieve a particular score.

Front 23

chronological age (CA)

Back 23

the number of years since the individual's birth

Front 24

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

Back 24

a numerical score on an intelligence test,

originally computed by dividing the person's mental age by chronological age and

multiplying by 100

Front 25

normal distribution (or normal curve)

Back 25

a bell-shaped curve describing the spread

of characteristics throughout a population

Front 26

normal range

Back 26

scores falling near the middle of a normal

distribution. The normal range of IQ scores

is about 90-110 and includes about 50%

of the population

Front 27

mental retardation

Back 27

often conceived as representing the lower

2% of the IQ range, commencing about 30

points below average (below 70 points).

More sophisticated definitions also take into

account an individual's level of social functioning and other abilities

Front 28

giftedness

Back 28

often conceived as representing the upper

2% of the IQ range, commencing about 30

points above average (at about 130 IQ point)

Front 29

savant syndrome

Back 29

found in individuals having a remarkable

talent (such as the ability to determine the

day of the week for any given date) even

though they are mentally slow in other domains.

Front 30

G factor

Back 30

a general ability, proposed by Spearman,

as the main factor underlying all intelligent

mental activity.

Front 31

crystallized intelligence

Back 31

the knowledge a person has acquired,

plus the ability to access that knowledge

Front 32

fluid intelligence

Back 32

the ability to see complex relationships and

solve problems.

Front 33

practical intelligence

Back 33

according to Sternberg, the ability to cope

with the environment; sometimes called

"street smarts."

Front 34

analytical intelligence

Back 34

according to Sternberg, the ability measured

by most IQ test; includes the ability to

analyze problems and find correct answers

Front 35

creative intelligence

Back 35

according to Sternberg, the form of

intelligence that helps people see new

relationships among concept; involves

insight and creativity

Front 36

triarchic theory

Back 36

The term for Sternberg's theory of intelligence;

so called because it combines three ("tri-")

main forms of intelligence

Front 37

wisdom

Back 37

according to Sternberg, using one's

intelligence toward a common good rather

than a selfish pursuit

Front 38

multiple intelligences

Back 38

a term used to refer to Gardner's theory,

which proposes that there are eight

(or more) forms of intelligence.

Front 39

theory of mind

Back 39

an awareness that other people's behavior

may be influenced by beliefs, desires, and

emotions that differ from one's own.

Front 40

self-fulfilling prophecy

Back 40

observations or behaviors that result

primarily from expectations

Front 41

heritability

Back 41

the amount of trait variation within a

group raised under the same conditions

that can be attributed to genetic differences.

Heritability tells us nothing about between-

group differences.

Front 42

stereotype threat

Back 42

an expectation of being judges by the

standard of a negative stereotype can

adversely affect performance