Cognition Chapter 9 (Problem Solving) Flashcards
What is problem solving
Achieving an end or goal without already knowing how to do it
Creative problem solving is when the solution is new and intentional
What is trial and error learning
Getting a result because of random trying it out and correcting it
Like in a shower temperature
What is insight and gestalt psychology about
Gestalt psychology believes that problem solving means finding a new pattern in a structure (restructuring)
Insight learning is finding an solution without steps just like that
Seeing the situation as a whole instead of combining
What are knowledge rich and lean problems
In depth domain knowledge is necessary to solve the problem
Problems who do not require a lot ok knowledge are knowledge lean
What is the problem space in problems and what kind of descriptions does it have
The problem space is all possible situations in a problem
It has two describtions
1. State action spaces (in terms of actions to get from one state to another)
2. Goal subgoal spaces (in terms of subgoals that lead to end goal)
What are adverse and non adversary problems
If there is an opponent or not
What is a well defined and an ill defined problem
When the goal and the means are clear and how they can be used
A lot of research went into this type of problem
Ill difined problem is the opposite
What are characteristics of well defined problems
- Initial or starting state (beginning situation)
- Goal state (goal situation)
- Actions (bring you from one situations to another)
What arethe two types of solution methods
- Algorithms (trying to search the whole problem space with instructions) (Infinite branches are possible)
There is depths and breadth search (and progressive breadth and deepening)
Can take very long because of - Heuristic (search only a part of the problem space, which can be good as there can be a laaaarge problem space)
What is means ends analysis
A fundamental heuristic where you use goal subgoal space and divide the problem into subproblems
What ist a Detour problem
When you have to move backwards in progress to get to the solution
–> wolf goat cabbage problem
Gps are able to do this
Just going straight towards the goal is hill climbing (most difficult part is when you get stuck)
Compare the goal subgoal approach to the state action approach
In the goal subbgoal results from an analysis of the problem
This is when you temporarely have to leave the goal and set a different subgoal to get closer
The state action approach thinks about the next action from a finite set
What is an expert
- People who practice an area consciously of skills components (for at least 10 year)
- The environment had to stimulate
- They have a lot of background knowledge (stored more and better)
- They also have better skills
What are insight problems
When the problems solution requires new thinking and is obvious once you know it
Insight is linked to creativity
Insight problems may be I’ll defined or well defined
What are risks during problem solving and how can you solve them
- Fixiating on a specific representation (solution can be restructuring)
- Strong tendency to apply problem solving strategy that is used normaly (set effects) (solution is to try something new)
- Fixiating on a standard function (functional fixity) (solution is try to see things as if they were new) –> stereotypes
