THINKING

• Thinking is a mental activity that goes on in the brain when a person is processing information.
• Mental images are mental representations that stand for objects or events and have a picture-like quality.
• Formal concepts are concepts that are defined by specific rules or features.
• Concepts are ideas that represent a class or category of objects, events, or activities.
• Natural concepts are concepts people form as a result of their experiences in the real world.
• Prototype (standard definition): an original or first model of something from which other forms are copied or developed
• Prototypes develop according to the exposure a person has to objects in that category.
• Trial and Error (mechanical solution) is a problem-solving method in which one possible solution after another is tried until a successful one is found.
• Problem Solving occurs when a goal must be reached by thinking and behaving in certain ways.
• Nourish your brain with a healthy diet to maintain a healthy brain.
• Algorithms are very specific, step-by-step procedures for solving certain types of problems.
• Eliminate Errors in Thinking to improve your thinking skills.
• Think positive to maintain a positive outlook and improve your mood.
• Mental activities that require creativity and the use of memory abilities can help keep the brain active.
• Question facts to challenge your assumptions and increase your knowledge.
• Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy brain.
• Get enough sleep to maintain a healthy brain.
• Read to expand your knowledge and stimulate your brain.
• Train your memory to improve your thinking skills.
• Heuristic is an educated guess based on prior experiences that helps narrow down the possible solutions for a problem; also known as a “rule of thumb”.
• Representative heuristic is a type of heuristic that uses information from a specific person's experiences to make decisions.
• Insight is a sudden perception of a solution to a problem.
• Homeostasis is our natural state.
• Functional Fixedness is a block to problem solving that comes from thinking about objects only in terms of their typical functions.
• Mental Set is the tendency for people to persist in using problem-solving patterns that have worked for them in the past.
• Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for evidence that fits one’s beliefs while ignoring any evidence that does not fit those beliefs.
• The Dot Problem can be solved by drawing four straight lines so that they pass through all nine dots without lifting your pencil from the page and without touching any dot more than once.
• Creativity is the process of solving problems by combining ideas or behavior in new ways requires a pattern of divergent thinking.
• Divergent Thinking is a process where a person starts from one point and comes up with many different ideas or possibilities based on that point.
• Convergent Thinking is a process where a problem is seen as having only one answer, and all lines of thinking will eventually lead to (converge on) that single answer, using previous knowledge and logic.
• Intelligence is the ability to learn from one’s experiences, acquire knowledge, and use resources effectively in adapting to new situations or solving problems.
• Spearman’s two factor Theory suggests that intelligence is composed of two factors: G factor, which is the ability to reason and solve problems; general intelligence, and S factor, which is the ability to excel in certain areas; specific intelligence.
• Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory, proposed in 1983, has revolutionized how we understand intelligence.
• Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of intelligence suggests that there are three kinds of intelligences: Analytical, Creative, and Practical.
• Different theories on motivation include Instinct theory, Drive Theory, and Incentive theory.
• Semantics are the rules for determining the meaning of words and sentences.
• Deviation IQ scores are a measure of intelligence that assumes that IQ is normally distributed around a mean of 100 with a standard deviation of about 15.
• Cognitive Universalism is the theory that concepts are universal and influence the development of language.
• IQ tests are generally valid for predicting academic success and job performance.
• Triarchic Theory of Intelligence includes analytical intelligence, which is the ability to break problems down into component parts, or analysis, for problem solving; creative intelligence, which is the ability to deal with new and different concepts and to come up with new ways of solving problems; and practical intelligence, which is the ability to use information to get along in life and become successful, also known as "street smarts".