• Changing and reorganizing information
stored in memory to create new or
transformed information.
Image: Visual mental representation of a specific event or
object
• Most basic unit of thought
• May not be an exact copy, but has the highlights of the
original
Symbol: abstract—a sound, object or design that
represents an object or quality
• Words, icons, numbers
• Can have a number of meanings—enables us to
consider the past and the future
Concept: A class of objects or events that have at least one
common attribute
• Enables us to chunk large amounts of information
• We don’t have to treat each new piece of info as unique
• Animals, cars, liquid, beauty
Prototype: A representative example of a concept
• The image that comes to your mind when a concept is
introduced
• An ex. that has the most characteristics of the concept
Directed Thinking (convergent
thinking)
• Systematic and logical
attempts to reach a
specific goal or answer.
• Depends on symbols,
concepts or rules
• Deliberate and purposeful
• Helps us solve problems,
formulate and follow
rules and work toward
setting and achieving
goals
Non-directed Thinking (divergent
thinking)
• Free flow of thoughts, no
real plan depends more
on images
• Daydreams, fantasies
• Often used when we are
relaxing, or escaping
boredom.
• May lead to insights into
goals or beliefs
Continued…
Metacognition:
• Thinking about
our thinking
• Thinking of our
strategy or how
we went about
solving
something
• One of the main functions of directed thinking
• Help us bridge the gap between a desired goal and a present
situation
• Sub-goals: Break a complex problem down
into smaller easier to manage goals
• Work Backwards: Start with the solution and
figure out a way to solve it
• Look into your memory: Have you
experienced something like this before?
• Algorithms: Fixed set of procedures that if followed correctly will
lead to a solution
• Mathematical formulas, Playing Chess
• Not always realistic, can be very long and complex
• Can you figure out what this word is?
• SPLOYOCHYG
• PSYCHOLOGY
• How did you solve it?
• An algorithm would have taken 907,200
attempts!!
• Heuristics: Experimental strategies or rules of thumb that
simplify problems and can lead to quick solutions
• A short cut
• Can result in bad decisions because we don’t have enough
information or we ignore pertinent information
• Availability Heuristic
• Rely on easily recalled info
• Lottery
• Representativeness Heuristic
• Assumptions
• Rules of thumb
• Flipping a coin
Which is more likely….
• If I flip a coin 10 times, which is more likely to be the results?
HHTHTTHTHH
or
HHHHHHHHHH
WHY??
Both series are just as likely, but your
representative heuristic makes you think
that 1 is more likely because option 1 represents
What a random series should look like
• Mental Set: When a strategy becomes habit.
• Cemented into your problem solving strategies
• Your thinking can become rigid: rigidity
• Functional Fixedness: the inability to solve a problem that
requires them to use a familiar object in an unfamiliar way.
• Inability to “Think outside the box.”
• Which activities did you experience this?
CONNECT ALL 9 DOTS
USE ONLY 4 LINES
DO NOT LIFT YOUR PENCIL
NO RETRACING
_______
ERNPSEG
TFBDWAH
_________
MPGHRYB
AASTDIO