Complex Cognitive Process: Thinking

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Complex Cognitive Process Thinking

• Ricky Cook, Chris Piccillo, and Jon Chreng

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Thinking Defined

• Involves manipulating and transforming
  information in memory.
• We think to form concepts, reason think
  critically, make decisions, think creatively and
  solve problems.

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Reasoning

• Logical Thinking using inductive and deductive
  reasoning
• Inductive reasoning involves reasoning from the
  specific to the general.
• Analogies are good examples of inductive
  reasoning.
• Murder is to crows as a gaggle is to ______.
• Geese

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Reasoning Contd

• Deductive reasoning is reasoning from the general
  to the specific.
• Example
• Islands are completely surrounded by water.
• Australia is completely surrounded by water.
• Therefore Australia is an island.

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Critical Thinking

• Involves thinking reflectively and productively
  and evaluating the evidence .
• One of the best ways to think critically is to
  present students with a controversial topic or
  article representing both sides of the issue.

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Creative Thinking

• What is it?

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Creative Thinking

• Creativity
• Ability to think about something in novel/unusual
  ways and discover unique solutions.
• J.P. Guilford (1967)
• Convergent vs. Divergent thinking

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Creativity and Intelligence

• Most creative students are intelligent, however
• many highly intelligent students are not
  particularly creative (Sternberg, 2006).
• Creativity may appear in different domains.

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Creativity in the Classroom

• Encourage creative thinking
• Group and individual basis
• Environment
• Activities
• Field trips
• Facilitate
• Student selection of activities

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Classroom Contd

• Internal Motivation
• Dont overuse rewards
• Flexibility
• Involve the community
• Writers, poets, musicians, scientists, etc

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Decision Making

• The Process and the Strategy

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Discussion One What is Decision Making?

• What is involved in decision making?

A Choice Scenario
Gathering Evidence and Information

• Def involves thinking where individuals
  evaluate alternatives and make choices among them.

Evaluating Alternatives
Choose and Execute Alternative
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Sounds Simple?

• Our decision making strategies are NOT perfect!
• In fact, decision making is sometimes difficult
  and prone to certain flaws of thinking!

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Flaws of Thinking

• Confirmation Bias
• Overconfidence Bias
• Hindsight Bias

• Belief Perseverance
• Availability Heuristic
• Representative Heuristic

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Checkpoint Which Flaw of Thinking?

• I absolutely rock at math, man. I mean, I eat,
  sleep, and dream math! Math is like my
  anti-drug, yo. Im so good at it, and there is
  absolutely ZERO percent chance I will drop my
  major. Therefore, I am deciding to be a math
  major.
• Overconfidence Bias
• Man, five days watching the news, and five days
  Ive seen baseball players shoot up steroids like
  its candy. Steroids is a HUGE problem that is
  sweeping ALL over baseball, and I stand by that
  fact staunchly. All baseball players should be
  admitted into an anti-steroid psychology
  program!
• Availability Heuristic
• Pretend its the same person as the first one
  after being a math major for a year Good grief,
  who knew math was going to turn into something
  this ghastly? I knew it! Why did you tell me I
  should be a math major? I told you I stunk at
  it! I knew I shouldnt have been a math major!
  
• Hindsight Bias
• Yo, every one of those thugs there tell me that
  harassing 83 year old lady is sweet fun, man! Im
  a gonna go find me an 83-year old lady and harass
  her!
• Confirmation Bias

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Conclusion Strategies for Making Good Decisions

• Weigh the costs and benefits of various outcomes.
• Avoid confirmation bias.
• Resist belief perseverance.
• Dont engage in overconfidence bias.
• Avoid hindsight bias.
• Be aware of the availability and representative
  heuristics.

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Activity Nuclear Survival

• In groups of 5
• You must come to a consensus regarding the five
  people who will be removed from the shelter
• When you are finished write the names and
  occupations of the people your group decided
  would survive.