Psychology · Unit 8

Thinking and Cognition

Problem solving, decisions and thinking traps

Human reasoning is systematically biased rather than randomly error-prone, and the systematic part is what makes it studiable and correctable.

The unit covers problem solving, reasoning, decision making, cognitive biases, and the relationship between language and thought.

This unit breaks down into 23 short steps and 120 questions, starting at difficulty 1 and building to 5. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 23
Questions: 120
Difficulty: 1-5

What this unit covers

Cognitive Biases
Reasoning
Language and Thought
Decision Making
Problem Solving

Where this fits

Follows Memory. Connects to Philosophy's Logic and Arguments.

Where people slip

Biases are usually shortcuts that work well most of the time. They are not defects so much as trade-offs that fail in specific conditions.

How the unit is structured

Thinking and Cognition runs as 23 short steps that unlock in order. 17 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 1 and climb to 5 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 23 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 120 in the unit altogether.

Cognitive Biases

Odd one outLevel 1
1. Which of these is NOT a cognitive bias?
- Photosynthesiscorrect
- Confirmation bias
- Anchoring
- Hindsight bias
Photosynthesis is a plant process; the others are real thinking biases.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
2. Which of these are examples of cognitive biases? Select all that apply.
- Confirmation biascorrect
- Anchoringcorrect
- Hindsight biascorrect
- A neuron
- A muscle
Confirmation bias, anchoring, and hindsight bias are all cognitive biases.
Fill the blankLevel 2
3. Relying too heavily on the very first piece of information you hear is called ____.
- anchoringcorrect
- empathy
- insight
- grammar
Anchoring means your judgment sticks close to the first number or fact you were given.
Multiple choiceLevel 2
4. What is a cognitive bias?
- A common thinking error that can twist our judgmentcorrect
- A part of the eye
- A type of healthy exercise
- A kind of long-term memory
A cognitive bias is a common thinking error that can lead to poor judgments.
True or falseLevel 2
5. After something happens, thinking 'I knew it all along' is called hindsight bias.
Answer: True
True. Hindsight bias makes past events feel more predictable than they really were.
Match the pairsLevel 3
6. Match each bias to what it does.
Answer: Confirmation bias = Seeking only agreeing evidence; Anchoring = First number sticks in your mind; Hindsight bias = Feeling you knew it all along; Availability heuristic = Easy examples feel common
Each bias twists judgment in its own way, from seeking agreement to leaning on the first fact.

Decision Making

Multiple choiceLevel 1
7. For an important choice, which usually leads to a better decision?
- Carefully weighing your optionscorrect
- Picking the first thing you see
- Flipping a coin every time
- Ignoring all the facts
Taking time to compare your options carefully usually leads to better choices.
Fill the blankLevel 2
8. A fast decision based on a gut feeling rather than careful thinking is an ____ decision.
- intuitivecorrect
- logical
- written
- random
An intuitive decision comes from a quick gut feeling instead of slow analysis.
Guess the numberLevel 2
9. In Kahneman's book 'Thinking, Fast and Slow', how many systems of thinking does he describe?
Answer: 2 systems
Kahneman describes two systems: fast System 1 and slow System 2.
Odd one outLevel 2
10. Which step does NOT belong in making a good decision?
- Ignore all the informationcorrect
- List your options
- Weigh the pros and cons
- Pick the best option
Ignoring all the information leads to worse choices; the others help you decide.
Choose all that applyLevel 4
11. According to prospect theory and related research, which of these are true about how people really decide? Select all that apply.
- People feel losses more strongly than equal gainscorrect
- Choices can change based on how options are wordedcorrect
- People often settle for a good enough optioncorrect
- People always compute the mathematically perfect choice
- Owning nothing makes every item worthless
Real decisions show loss aversion, framing, and satisficing, not the perfect logic of a pure calculator.
Match the pairsLevel 4
12. Match each decision-making idea to its meaning.
Answer: Loss aversion = Losses feel worse than equal gains; Endowment effect = Owning something raises its value to you; Bounded rationality = Deciding within real limits; Overconfidence effect = Feeling more sure than you are
Each term captures a different way real decisions depart from perfectly cold logic.

Language and Thought

Fill the blankLevel 1
13. A system of sounds, words, and rules used to share ideas is called ____.
- languagecorrect
- memory
- emotion
- instinct
Language lets people turn thoughts into words that others can understand.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
14. Which of these is a main purpose of language?
- To share thoughts and ideas with otherscorrect
- To digest food
- To pump blood
- To cool the body down
Language mainly helps us share thoughts and ideas with other people.
Odd one outLevel 1
15. Which one is NOT a part of language?
- Gravitycorrect
- Words
- Grammar
- Sounds
Gravity is a force of nature; words, grammar, and sounds are all parts of language.
True or falseLevel 1
16. The words and language we use can shape the way we think.
Answer: True
True. Psychologists find that language can influence how we notice and describe the world.
Type the answerLevel 2
17. Talking silently to yourself inside your head is called inner ____.
Answer: speech
Inner speech is the quiet voice in your mind that helps you think and plan.
Choose all that applyLevel 5
18. Based on modern research, which statements about language and thought are well supported? Select all that apply.
- Language can influence how easily we notice or remember some thingscorrect
- Humans appear to have an inborn readiness to learn languagecorrect
- Some thinking can happen without wordscorrect
- People with no word for a color become physically unable to see it
- Language completely determines every thought a person can have
Language nudges thought and we are wired to learn it, but it neither blinds us nor fully controls thought.

Problem Solving

Multiple choiceLevel 1
19. In psychology, what is a problem?
- A situation where you want a goal but the path to it is not obviouscorrect
- A feeling of being very happy
- A type of long-term memory
- A part of the brain
A problem is a situation where you have a goal but the way to reach it is not obvious yet.
Fill the blankLevel 2
20. A step-by-step method that is guaranteed to reach the correct answer if you follow it is called an ____.
- algorithmcorrect
- emotion
- instinct
- reflex
An algorithm is a set of clear steps that always gives the right answer when followed correctly.
Odd one outLevel 2
21. Which one is NOT a way to solve a problem?
- Forgettingcorrect
- Using an algorithm
- Using a heuristic
- Trial and error
Forgetting is not a problem-solving strategy; the others are real methods.
Put in orderLevel 2
22. Put these steps of solving a problem in a sensible order.
Answer: Identify the problem -> Plan a strategy -> Carry out the plan -> Check the result
You first understand the problem, then plan, then act, and finally check how it went.
True or falseLevel 2
23. An algorithm is a mental shortcut that can sometimes give the wrong answer.
Answer: False
False. A shortcut that can be wrong is a heuristic; an algorithm always works if followed.
Choose all that applyLevel 3
24. Which of these can get in the way of solving a problem? Select all that apply.
- Functional fixednesscorrect
- A rigid mental setcorrect
- Breaking the problem into steps
- Taking a helpful break
Functional fixedness and mental set are both mental traps that block flexible thinking.

Reasoning

Multiple choiceLevel 1
25. What is reasoning?
- Using facts and logic to reach a conclusioncorrect
- Feeling happy or sad
- Storing a picture in memory
- Moving your muscles
Reasoning is using facts and logic to work out a conclusion.
Odd one outLevel 1
26. Which word does NOT belong with the others?
- Sleepingcorrect
- Deductive
- Inductive
- Logical
Sleeping is not a kind of reasoning; the others are ways of thinking things through.
Fill the blankLevel 2
27. Reasoning that starts with a general rule and applies it to a specific case is called ____ reasoning.
- deductivecorrect
- musical
- emotional
- physical
Deductive reasoning moves from a general rule down to a specific conclusion.
Match the pairsLevel 2
28. Match each way of thinking to its description.
Answer: Deductive reasoning = General rule to a specific case; Inductive reasoning = Examples to a general rule; Trial and error = Trying options until one works
Deduction goes rule to case, induction goes examples to rule, and trial and error tests options.
Choose all that applyLevel 3
29. Which statements about deductive reasoning are correct? Select all that apply.
- It moves from a general rule to a specific casecorrect
- The conclusion is certain if the premises are truecorrect
- It builds general rules from single examples
- It is only about feelings
Deduction moves from general rules to specific cases and is certain when the premises are true.
Put in orderLevel 4
30. Put the steps of testing an idea with the hypothetico-deductive method in order.
Answer: Observe something puzzling -> Form a hypothesis -> Predict what should happen if it is true -> Test the prediction -> Revise the hypothesis if needed
You observe, form a hypothesis, make a prediction, test it, and then revise, which is the hypothetico-deductive cycle.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 10 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Choose all that apply
Fill the blank
Guess the number
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Put in order
Sort into groups
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Thinking and Cognition

120 questions across 23 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

Read about Thinking and Cognition

Explainers from our blog on what this unit covers. Each one ends with real questions from the bank.

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See all 18 units in Psychology →