PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 61: Utility, Decision-Making, Problem Solving

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Daniel Levitin

Document Summary

Concept:+ a+ category,+ or+ class,+ that+ includes+ subtypes+ and+ /or+ individual+ items. + an+ abstract+ representation+that+groups+or+categorizes+objects,+events+or+relations+around+common+themes. + Defining+attribute+model:+that+idea+that+a+concept+is+characterized+by+a+list+of+features+that+are+ necessary+ to+ determine+ if+ an+ object+ is+ a+ member+ of+ a+ category. + it+ fails+ to+ capture+ many+ key+ aspects+of+how+we+organize+things+in+our+minds. +it+implies+an+allgorgnon+categorization,+and+that+ all+the+given+category"s+attributes+are+equally+salient+in+terms+of+defining+this+category,+and+the+ model+posits+that+all+the+members+of+a+category+are+all+equal+in+the+category++ We+ can+ employ+ schemas+ because+ common+ situations+ have+ consistent+ attributes,+ and+ people+ have+specific+roles+in+specific+contexts. + Scripts+ dictate+ our+ appropriate+ behaviours,+ and+ what+ we+ view+ as+ appropriate+ is+ shaped+ by+ culture. +their+adaptive+value+is+that+they+minimize+the+amount+of+attention+required+to+navigate+ familiar+ environments,+ and+ to+ avoid+ unusual+ or+ dangerous+ information. + they+ can+ lead+ into+ thinking+in+stereotypical+ways. ++ Deductive+ reasoning:+ we+ use+ logic+ to+ draw+ specific+ conclusions+ under+ certain+ assumptions,+ or+ premises. + deductive+ reasoning+ tasks+ are+ often+ presented+ as+ syllogisms+ (logical+ arguments+ containing+premises+and+a+conclusion). + Categorical:+ the+ logical+ argument+ contains+ 2+ premises+ and+ a+ conclusion,+ which+ can+ be+ determined+to+be+either+valid+or+invalid. +(all+as+are+bs,+all+bs+are+cs,+therefore+all+as+are+cs)+ Research+ on+ decision+ making+ has+ been+ influenced+ by+ normative+ (humans+ are+ optimal+ decision+ makers)+and+descriptive+(account+for+human"s+misinterpretations,+and+irrational+acts)+models+ Tversky,+ kahnemann:+ importance+ of+ both+ reasoning+ and+ decision+ making+ in+ economics. + they+ identified+several+common+heuristics+