_____ can help us interpret or deal with new information or events that we have never encountered.

• A. Mental images
• B. Mental sets
• C. Concepts
• D. Algorithms

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Begin by understanding the term 'concepts' in psychology. Concepts are mental categories that help us group objects, events, or ideas that have common properties.
2. Recognize that concepts allow us to make sense of new information by relating it to what we already know. This is because they provide a framework for understanding and interpreting new experiences.
3. Consider how concepts differ from other cognitive tools like mental images, which are visual representations, or algorithms, which are step-by-step procedures for solving problems.
4. Reflect on the role of mental sets, which are tendencies to approach problems in a certain way based on past experiences, and how they differ from the flexible nature of concepts.
5. Conclude that concepts are essential for cognitive processing as they enable us to efficiently categorize and respond to new stimuli by drawing on existing knowledge structures.