Chapter 12: Problem Solving & Creative Shit Flashcards
Problem Solving: Restructuring (Gestalt Mothasluckas)
- The process of changing how a problem is represented in the mind
- We often represent problems in our mind and figure out the best way to solve them by restructuring
Problem Solving: Insight (Gestalt Mothasluckaz)
- Any sudden realization which comes from reorganizing ones mental representation of a stimulus or problem
- A confusing definition for an obvious term
- Important part is the fact that its sudden and comes from restructuring
Problem Solving & Insight: Analytically Based Problems
- Problems which are systematic and use techniques
- Used by the Gestalts to try and keep people from having insight (aha!) moments
Problem Solving: Fixation
- The tendency to focus on one aspect of a problem
- Often results in tunnel vision that prevents one from figuring shit out
Problem Solving & Fixation: Functional Fixedness
- Occurs when we focus on the familiar or typical function of an object rather than seeing how it can be used in other ways
Problem Solving & Fixation: The Candle Problem (Ex - Duncker)
- P’s were given a group of objects and asked to perform a task with them
- When a matchbox had matches in it, p’s were way less likely to use the matchbox in an alternative way and solve the problem
Problem Solving & Fixation: The Two-String Problem (Ex - Maier)
- P’s were asked to tie together two strings hanging from da ceiling
- Needed to use pliers as a weight for a pendulum, but lots didn’t think of this because pliers are for plying, not for weights
Problem Solving & Fixation: Mental Set
- A preconceived notion about how to approach a problem
- Often prevents mothasluckaz from trying out new solutionz
Problem Solving & Fixation: The Water Jug Problem
- Had p’s do a water volume task in 2 groups
- One had a mental set way of approaching the problem, and one didn’t
- The mental set group mostly kept the same procedure, while the entire new group solved the problems in a simpler way
- Mental set was shown to impact p’s problem solving abilities
Problem Solving: The Information-Processing Approach
- A research program in cognitive psychology that sees problem solving as a dynamic search rather than a problem and a solution
The Information-Processing Approach: The Tower of Hanoi Problem
- A problem where P’s gotta get 3 rings from one peg to another but there’s rules that make it tough
- Used as a demonstration of problem solving as a search rather than just a prob and a saloosh
The Tower of Hanoi: Initial State
Conditions at the beginning of the problem
The Tower of Hanoi: Goal State
The solution of the problem
The Tower of Hanoi: Operators
- Actions that take the problem from one state to another
- Create the intermediate states of the problem (a search!)
The Tower of Hanoi: Intermediate State
- Conditions after each step is made toward solving a problem
The Tower of Hanoi: Problem Space
All possible states that could occur when solving a problem
The Tower of Hanoi: Means-End Analysis
- A way of solving a problem in which the goal is to reduce the difference between the initial and the goal states
- Think of small adjustments you make to your feet for kickflips
The Tower of Hanoi: Subgoals
Intermediate states that are closer to the goal
Prob Solving: Importance of How the Prob is Stated
How a prob is stated can affect how difficult it is to solve
How the Prob is Stated: The Mutilated Checkerboard Problem
- A problem where you try to cover a checkerboard with dominoes
- The remove 2 corner pieces and see if you can do it with 1 less domino
- The way the problem was stated changed how difficult it was to solve
How the Prob is Stated: The Think-Aloud Protocol (Procedure)
- P’s say they thoughts out loud (obvs)
- Researchers noticed that homies was solving shit depending on what aspects of the puzzle they was thinkin bout
Using Analogies to Solve Probs: Analogical Problem Solving
Using the solution to a similar problem to guide solution of a new problem
Using Analogies to Solve Probs: Analogical Transfer
The transferring of experience from solving one prob to solving another fuckin prob
Analogical Transfer: Target Problem VS Source Problem
- Target: The problem the P is trying to solve
- Source: Another problem thats similar to the target prob and shows a saloosh
Analogical Transfer: Duncker’s Radiation Problem
- A super ray can kill tumour but will also kill health body parts, what do you do?
- Solution is hard, but when a story w/ a similar solution is solved beforehand, way more people get it
Using Analogies to Solve Probs: Analogical Encoding
- The process by which two probs are compared and similarities between them are determined
Analogical Encoding: The Trade-Off Strategy
- Negotiating by figuring out a way where both people get what they want from the same thing
- You both want sex but one of you hates doggy and the other one loves missionary, you do it missionary
Analogical Encoding: The Contingency Strategy
- Negotiating by promising something if something else happens
- “I want you to suck my cock!”
“I’ll only suck your cock if you eat my pussy first!”
Analogy in Real Livin’: Analogical Paradox
- It’s hard to do analogies in da lab, but happens lots in real life
Analogy in Real Livin’: In Vivo Problem-Solving Research (Procedure)
- Observing P’s to see how they solve real-world probs
- Captures thinking in natural settings
Creativity: Divergent Thinking
- Thinking that is open-ended and involves lots of potential solutions
Creativity: Group Brainstorming
- Based on the finding that preconceptions can inhibit creative thinkin
- Idea is to get people together and just throw out ideas without critiquing or over-analyzing them
Creativity: Finke’s Creative Cognition (Technique)
- Asks p’s to pick 3 objects randomly and construct a new object without worrying about its usefulness
- Then asked to interpret what the object could be based on a category
Finke’s Creative Cognition: Preinventive Forms
- What Finke called the interpreted objects
- They still need to be developed and tested and shit
Creativity & The Brain: The Nine-Dot Prob
- Gotta put 4 lines through 9 dots
- Most homies can’t bcuz they see the dots as a square rather than just 9 dots and they get stuck
- Associated with the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL) which groups perceived shit togetha
The 9 Dot Prob: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
- A brain procedure that they did to deactivate the left ATL and stimmy the right ATL
- This shit made people way more likely to solve the prob, since this area of the brain tends to group shits togetha
Creativity & The Brain: Compound Remote-Association Problem
- 3 words (pine, crab, sauce) presented
- Gotta find the word related to all 3 (apple)
- EEG showed different places were stimulated for different types of solutions (analytical vs insight)
Creativity & The Brain: The Default Mode Network
- The brain has a network which operates when we’re not doing something specific with our brain
- Psychologists think it’s purpose might be to help with creative problem solving
The Default Mode Network: Incubation
- Getting an idea for a solution after we stop working on the problem
- The problem is solved by our DMN!
The Default Mode Network: Alternate Uses Task (AUT)
- A baseline task where p’s had to think of alternative uses for an object (Penis = paperweight)
- P’s then asked to do 1 of 2 tasks (Hard vs Easy)
- They then do 1st part again (easy one leads to way more new ideas!) (DMN and incubation!)
Creativity & The Brain: Executive Control Network
- Involved in directing attention as a person is carrying out tasks
- Highly correlated with creativity and with DMN (which seems weird!)
- Might as a traffic cop ‘directing’ the flow of fuckin energy in the DMN
