Module 35 REVIEW

• 35-1 What cognitive strategies assist our problem solving, and what obstacles hinder it?

• An algorithm is a methodical, logical rule or procedure (such as a step-by-step description for evacuating a building during a fire) that guarantees a solution to a problem.
• A heuristic is a simple thinking strategy that is usually speedier than an algorithm but is also more error-prone.
• Insight is not a strategy-based solution, but rather a sudden flash of inspiration that solves a problem.
• Obstacles to problem solving include confirmation bias, which predisposes us to verify rather than challenge our hypotheses, and fixation, such as mental set, which may prevent us from taking the fresh perspective that would lead to a solution.

• 35-2 What is intuition, and how can the availability and representativeness heuristics influence our decisions and judgments?

• Intuition is the effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thoughts we often use instead of systematic reasoning.
• Heuristics enable snap judgments. The representativeness heuristic leads us to judge the likelihood of things in terms of how they represent our prototype for a group of items. Using the availability heuristic, we judge the likelihood of things based on how readily they come to mind, which often leads us to fear the wrong things.

• 35-3 What factors exaggerate our fear of unlikely events?

• We fear (1) what our ancestral history has prepared us to fear, even though these risks may no longer be significant; (2) what we cannot control; (3) what is immediate; and (4) what is most readily available in memory.
• We remember and fear disasters more than ongoing, less dramatic threats.

• 35-4 How are our decisions and judgments affected by overconfidence, belief perseverance, and framing?

• Overconfidence can lead us to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs.
• When a belief we have formed and explained has been discredited, belief perseverance may cause us to cling to that belief. A remedy is to consider how we might have explained an opposite result.
• Framing is the way a question or statement is presented. Subtle differences in presentation can dramatically alter our responses.

• 35-5 How do smart thinkers use intuition?

• Smart thinkers welcome their intuitions (which are usually adaptive), but also know when to override them.
• When making complex decisions, we may benefit from gathering as much information as possible and then taking time to let our two-track mind process it.
• As people gain expertise, they grow adept at making quick, shrewd judgments.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. A methodical, logical rule that guarantees solving a particular problem is called a(n)
   1. heuristic.
   2. algorithm.
   3. insight.
   4. mental set.
   5. confirmation bias.
2. Thom believes that his congresswoman is an honest woman. He looks for examples of her giving to charity and ignores her ethics violations, which have recently been in the news. Thom is being affected by
   1. confirmation bias.
   2. intuition.
   3. mental set.
   4. the availability heuristic.
   5. overconfidence.
3. Thom still believes that the congresswoman is an honest person even after she is arrested and sent to jail. Thom is now experiencing
   1. framing.
   2. intuition.
   3. insight.
   4. belief perseverance.
   5. confirmation bias.
4. Many people prefer meat that is 80 percent lean instead of 20 percent fat, even though they are the same thing. Which concept is being used when the same information is presented in a more desirable way?
   1. Intuition
   2. Insight
   3. Framing
   4. Overconfidence
   5. Perseverance
5. After seeing a news story about a kidnapping, we are more afraid of kidnapping, even though it is a very rare occurrence. Which of the following is the term for this phenomenon?
   1. Intuition insight
   2. Confirmation bias
   3. Belief perseverance
   4. Mental set
   5. Availability heuristic

Practice FRQs

1. Identify one disadvantage and one advantage each, of using algorithms and heuristics when looking for an item in the grocery store.

Answer

1 point: Algorithm disadvantage: It is very time consuming, and you will spend much time wandering around the store looking at irrelevant items. Page 370

1 point: Heuristic disadvantage: The few places you have chosen to look may not be where the item is located in the store. Page 370

1 point: Algorithm advantage: Because it is so methodical, you are guaranteed to find the item if it is in the store. Page 370

1 point: Heuristic advantage: This method is often faster, so you will get in and out of the store faster. Page 370

2. A teacher has received false information that one of your friends is a cheater. Explain how each of the following can lead the teacher to continue in this false belief:
   • Overconfidence
   • Mental set
   • Confirmation bias

(3 points)