10 - Problem Solving and Creativity Flashcards
define problem solving
the effort directed toward finding ways to obtain one’s goals
problems can be_
- well or ill defined
- routine or nonroutine
many factors influence problem solving success, name 4
the use of heuristics, experience, insight and creativity
define “well-defined” problem
clear
- has a given state, goal state and operators are clearly defined
define “ill-defined” problem
broader
-vague problem to solve
- not clear what the path to solution would be
define a “routine” problem
- problems in which you are familiar with the solution
define a “non-routine” problem
- a little more difficult
- don’t see it as often
- solution will take some time to develop
*little experience with problem
what is 1 way to success in problem solving?
creating well-defined sub goals (break up big problems into sub-chunks)
- if it’s too broad you can limit problem to more constrained space
define problem space
the set of all states that can be reached in solving the problem
- lets us see what the solutions are, usually too vast for most problems
*problem solving AS A SEARCH
name 2 general problem-solving heuristics
- hill-climbing strategy
- means-end analysis
define hill-climbing strategy
at each step in solving a problem, choose the option that moves you in the direction of your goal
*doesn’t always have to go upwards
define means-end analysis
“what means do I have to make my current state more like my goal state?”
*breaking down into sub goals and establishing how you can reach the goal right now
what’s another general problem-solving heuristic strategy?
drawing out the problem can be more effective
- visualizing
why is experience important in problem solving?
general heuristics are great but often we use our past experiences
- compare a current problem with past problem we have already solved through ANALOGICAL REASONING
how is problem solving done via analogy?
- spontaneously engaging in analogical reasoning is quite rare
- problem solving can be improved by encouraging people to focus on the deep structure at initial learning of the problem (trying to relate it to other structures from the beginning will help)
who uses analogies more, experts/novices?
*experts use analogies more than novices!
- form analogies in their field
what is relational learning (analogy problem solving)
learning new info in relation to things you already know
- will only improve analogical reasoning if it happened at the time of learning/encoding
- if you learn something and then later on are told about the relationship between things, won’t be as effective
how can problem solving be approached through sub-goals?
- problems can be broken up into subproblems
- experts are more likely to do this than novices
*chess board example, looked at viable plays vs position
define functional fixedness
the tendency to be rigid in thinking about an object’s function
ex. only thinking of box as container
how does functional fixedness affect problem-solving?
- limits problem solving
- guides/limits solutions you come up with
*want to think of big picture, not rigid thinking
describe “problem-solving set”
- collection of beliefs and assumptions a person makes about a problem
- similar to Einstellung (problem solver’s beliefs, habits and preferred strategies)
*constrains our thinking
how do problem-solving sets affect problem solving?
- often develop a strategy that works for certain problems and try to use it for new problems
- not constantly reevaluating and looking for new strategies/solutions even if new ones might be more efficient
list the prerequisites for creativity in highly creative ppl
- great knowledge and skill in the domain
- certain personality traits (willingness to take risks, ignore criticism)
- motivated by pleasure of work, not external rewards
- “in the right place at the right time” (maybe had right cues from environment that led to solution)
what does creativity mean in terms of problem solving?
some ppl are more flexible in approaches to problems and others rely on routine
what are the 4 proposed stages of creative thought (Wallas)
Preparation
Incubation
Illumination
Verification
describe the preparation stage
- information gathering, getting ready to solve
describe the incubation stage
- set the problem aside, let brew in mind (continues to work on it unconsciously)
describe the illumination stage
key insight/new idea emerges (something good comes up, aware of it)
*eureka/aha moment
describe the verification stage
confirmation that the new idea leads to a solution
- work out the details
What part of the 4-stage process is supported by evidence/not?
- not much evidence that we think this way
- BUT cyclical process/back and forth is right
are eureka/aha moments common?
no
- most ideas are generated gradually
- people actively working towards a solution, developing it incrementally, sometimes aha moment but you usually build up to it
what did a study looking at 30 sec before a solution find?
whether or not you came up with a solution, felt “warmer” to it at 30 sec
*not necessarily associated with awareness of correctness of a solution
- ppl are aware of solution even in aha moment
what area of the brain has heightened activity during problem solving that requires insight?
heightened gamma activity
- right temporal??
why might incuation increase chances of solving a problem requiring creativity?
- mind wandering helps related ideas come to mind because of spread activation (might get you out of functional fixedness)
- fatigue in seeking a solution could be relieved with a break
*sometimes continuing to chip away at it is better
in many regards, creative people are not much different than others. They often are…
- motivated
- experts in the field they are in
- willing to take risks
creative people are probably good at all 3 of these:
- convergent thinking
- divergent thinking
- forward flow
define convergent thinking
an ability to spot ways in which seemingly distince ideas might be interconnected
which task assesses convergent thinking?
remote associates task
define divergent thinking
an ability to move one’s thoughts in novel, unanticipated directions
how can divergent thinking be assessed?
- test that asks you to think of new uses for sample objects
- no correct answer, being able to come up with the longest list and being creative enough to imagine using it in diff ways
define forward flow
how much one’s current thinking breaks away from past thoughts
- “how are you going to think abotu things differently than you though about before?”
how can forward flow be assessed?
forward flow test (gray et al., 2019)
