Cognitive Approach – Additional Terms
Topic Content Terms that may be used in assessment
questions starting 2020
Cognitive processing Schema o Cognitive schema
Thinking and decision-making o Rational (controlled)
o Intuitive thinking (automatic)
Topic Definition Example Study & Link (NEW)
Rational Rational thinking is thinking System 2 Luce, Bettman, and Payne –
(Controlled) according to logical rules, which Classified by Kahneman as the giving children financial aid
Thinking is considered by many theorists slower, conscious, and rational
to be a central part of style of thinking. System 2 The results of Luce et al. (1997)
intelligence thinking is deliberate and show how System 2 works when
effortful, requiring mental work making a difficult tradeoff
and concentration. System 2 between two options.
thinking is deliberate and Therefore, when the
effortful, requiring mental work participants were given more
and concentration. Additionally, information about a child to
when someone is engaged in pick, they thought more about
System 2 thinking, their body is their decision and tried to
also involved - muscles tense rationalize their thinking. This
Thinking and Decision Making
up, blood pressure rises, and shows that the adaptive
pupils dilate. decision-making framework is
influenced by difficult emotions
can stimulate the use of rational
thinking
Intuitive Intuitive thinking means going System 1 Tversky and Kahneman –
(Automatic) with one's first instinct and Kahneman classifies the form of anchoring bias
Thinking reaching decisions quickly based rapid, effortless thinking System
on automatic cognitive 1 thinking. System 1 thinking is The study shows how
processes. automatic, intuitive, and participants automatically
requires no effort. For example, assumed that the product was
many people instantly know higher due to the anchor
that 10x10=100 starting at a higher number (8).
This shows their intuitive
Anchoring Bias thinking as they had to make an
Anchoring bias is a cognitive automatic and quick decision of
bias that causes people to rely what they thought the product
too heavily on the first piece of is.
information they are given
about a topic.
Tversky and Kahneman – Anchoring Bias
Tversky and Kahneman aimed to investigate whether the order of numbers in a row would affect how participants
would estimate the value of the number if they were multiplied. The sample was made up of high school students
and there were two conditions. One, the “ascending” conditions were presented with 1 X 2 X 3 X 4 X 5 X 6 X 7 X 8
and had to estimate the total value in 5 seconds. The second condition, the “descending” one was presented with 8
X 7 X 6 X 5 X 4 X 3 X 2 X 1 and also had 5 seconds to estimate the value. The results were that the ascending group
had a median estimate of 512 whereas the descending condition had a median estimate of 2250. The actual value
was 40,032.
Topic Content Terms that may be used in assessment
questions starting 2020
Cognitive processing Schema o Cognitive schema
Thinking and decision-making o Rational (controlled)
o Intuitive thinking (automatic)
Topic Definition Example Study & Link (NEW)
Rational Rational thinking is thinking System 2 Luce, Bettman, and Payne –
(Controlled) according to logical rules, which Classified by Kahneman as the giving children financial aid
Thinking is considered by many theorists slower, conscious, and rational
to be a central part of style of thinking. System 2 The results of Luce et al. (1997)
intelligence thinking is deliberate and show how System 2 works when
effortful, requiring mental work making a difficult tradeoff
and concentration. System 2 between two options.
thinking is deliberate and Therefore, when the
effortful, requiring mental work participants were given more
and concentration. Additionally, information about a child to
when someone is engaged in pick, they thought more about
System 2 thinking, their body is their decision and tried to
also involved - muscles tense rationalize their thinking. This
Thinking and Decision Making
up, blood pressure rises, and shows that the adaptive
pupils dilate. decision-making framework is
influenced by difficult emotions
can stimulate the use of rational
thinking
Intuitive Intuitive thinking means going System 1 Tversky and Kahneman –
(Automatic) with one's first instinct and Kahneman classifies the form of anchoring bias
Thinking reaching decisions quickly based rapid, effortless thinking System
on automatic cognitive 1 thinking. System 1 thinking is The study shows how
processes. automatic, intuitive, and participants automatically
requires no effort. For example, assumed that the product was
many people instantly know higher due to the anchor
that 10x10=100 starting at a higher number (8).
This shows their intuitive
Anchoring Bias thinking as they had to make an
Anchoring bias is a cognitive automatic and quick decision of
bias that causes people to rely what they thought the product
too heavily on the first piece of is.
information they are given
about a topic.
Tversky and Kahneman – Anchoring Bias
Tversky and Kahneman aimed to investigate whether the order of numbers in a row would affect how participants
would estimate the value of the number if they were multiplied. The sample was made up of high school students
and there were two conditions. One, the “ascending” conditions were presented with 1 X 2 X 3 X 4 X 5 X 6 X 7 X 8
and had to estimate the total value in 5 seconds. The second condition, the “descending” one was presented with 8
X 7 X 6 X 5 X 4 X 3 X 2 X 1 and also had 5 seconds to estimate the value. The results were that the ascending group
had a median estimate of 512 whereas the descending condition had a median estimate of 2250. The actual value
was 40,032.
