Making major decisions

My name is Maria Vita and I teach psychology at Penn Manor High School.  This blog will be centered on psychology's impact on our decisions/thinking.  It is a COGNITIVE blog, I think.  Get it: I think?  HAHAHA  

The first project that my students will create is a modification of Mr. Galusha's college application project. For this assignment, students will apply terms from the cognition unit to a MAJOR DECISION.  The major decision can include (but not be limited to) college choice; dating; buying someone a gift; buying a car; who to ask to prom; what sport to concentrate on, whether or not to get a part-time job; what CAREER choices/path to take, etc. 

Words to DEFINE and APPLY in project

*Prototype

*Heuristic

*Availability heuristic

*Representativeness heuristic

*Algorithm - decide whether or not you decision involves this and explain

*Confirmation bias

*Overconfidence

*Belief bias

*Belief perseverance

*Framing

*Anchoring

*Mental set OR fixedness OR functional fixedness

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Thanks Brad Wray for the help with definitions