CogPsy - Chapter XI - ProblemSolving I

Question 1

problem solving

Answer 1

an effort to overcome obstacles obstructing the path to solution

Question 2

The problem-solving cycle includes:

Answer 2

• problem identification
• problem definition
• strategy formulation
• organization of information
• allocation of resources
• monitoring
• evaluation

Question 3

4 strategies that can help in strategy formulation:

Answer 3

• analysis
• synthesis
• divergent thinking (e.g. brainstorming)
• convergent thinking (narrowing your range of brainstormed solutions)

Question 4

A well-structured problem has a …

Answer 4

… clear path to a solution.

Question 5

An ill-structured problem …

Answer 5

… lacks clear path to solutions.

Question 6

Example for well-structured problems:

Answer 6

• Move Problems (Riverrowing)

Question 7

Means-ends analysis:

Answer 7

A strategy in which current state is compared to goal state and steps are taken to minimize differences.

Question 8

Other heuristics than means-ends analysis:

Answer 8

• working forward (starting from initial state)
• working backward (starting from goal state)
• generate and test ((non-systematic) generation of alternative courses of action)

Question 9

Isomorphic problems:

Answer 9

• formal structure the same

- content differs

Question 10

Does problem presentation matter?

Answer 10

Yes!

Question 11

Some ill-structured problems are insight problems, because …

Answer 11

… you need to see the problem in a novel way.

Question 12

Insight is a …

Answer 12

… sometimes sudden understanding of a problem or a strategy to solve this problem.

Question 13

Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer thought about productive thinking as …

Answer 13

… involving insights and as opposit to reproductive thinking.

Question 14

Two ways to distinguish solving of insightful and non-insightful problems:

Answer 14

In insightful problems:

1. it is hard to predict your success.
2. It is hard to know how close you are to the solution.

Question 15

What can help to generate insights?

Answer 15

sleep, rest, divergence etc.

Question 16

Mental set:

Answer 16

a frame of mind involving an existing model of representing a problem or its context.

Question 17

Mental set aka.

Answer 17

entrenchment

Question 18

Problems in problem solving:

Answer 18

• having an entranched mental set

- functional fixedness (a hammer is a hammer and nothing else)

Question 19

Another kind of mental set:

Answer 19

stereotypes

Question 20

2 kinds of transfer (influence of the solution of an earlier problem on the next problem):

Answer 20

• negative transfer

- positive transfer

Question 21

Example for transfer of analogies:

Answer 21

military problem vs. radiation problem

Question 22

One can actively search for analogies btw problems, but what can be another problem:

Answer 22

Transparency: One sees analogies just because of similar content.

Question 23

Putting a problem aside for a while is called …

Answer 23

… incubation.

Question 24

Statements made by a problem solver a called …

Answer 24

… verbal protocols.

Question 25

Experts usually have an advantage because of two mechanisms:

Answer 25

• schematization (developing rich, highly structured schemas)
• automatization (binding steps to a single step)

Question 26

Expert systems are …

Answer 26

… programs that can perform liek an expert in a highly specialist domain.

Question 27

Creativity means to produce sth that is both …

Answer 27

… novel and worthwhile.

Question 28

A measurement of creativity:

Answer 28

divergent production (producing a diverse assortment of possible responses)

Question 29

Creativity and the brain:

Answer 29

prefrontal cortex