L9: Problem Solving Flashcards
3 Major Aspects of Problem Solving
- Purposeful
- Based on controlled, rather than automatic processes
- You lack the relevant knowledge to generate an immediate solution
Criteria of a well-defined problem
- Problem has a clearly defined given state
- Finite set of rules
- Clear goal
Criteria of an ill-defined problem
- Not obvious when the goal has been reached
- Not obvious what information is relevant
4 different types of problems
- Well-defined
- Ill-defined
- Knowledge-rich
- Knowledge-lean
Algorithm vs Heuristic
Algorithm is systematic step-by-step operations that covers the entire problem space and guarantees a solution if one exists. Heuristic is a rule of thumb that produces approximately correct solutions.
What problem-solving heuristics are there?
- Means-End Analysis
- Hill Climbing
- Progress Monitoring
- Planning
- Using analogies
What are the steps for the means-end analysis?
- Note the difference between the current state and goal state
- Form subgoal between current and goal state
- Select a mental operator / operation that allows this subgoal to be attained
What is hill climbing?
People take the action that leads to the biggest similarity between the current state and the goal state.
What is progress monitoring?
The rate of progress is assessed constantly, and if deemed to be inefficient, an alternative strategy is sought.
What is the availability method?
Use the first solution that comes to mind.
Insight vs Non-Insight problems
Insight problems are characterised by sudden solutions that come to people in a moment of insight. Non-insight problems are more straightforward and typically require step-by-step reasoning to reach a solution.
What is the representational change theory?
We have to represent the problem differently, which removes the block.
Does incubation and sleep facilitate insight?
Yes, incubation is more useful for creative problems having multiple solutions and when there was relatively long preparation time prior to incubation.
5 characteristics of eye movements for experts
- Shorter fixations
- Faster first fixations on task-relevant information
- More fixations on task-relevant information
- Fewer fixations on task-irrelevant areas
- Longer eye movements
3 requirements for deliberate practice
- Task not too easy or difficult
- Feedback given
- Adequate opportunities to repeat task & correct errors
What does deliberate practice cause?
Fast transfer of information between STM and LTM -> creates expertise
What problems can past experience cause?
- Functional fixedness
- Mental set
What is functional fixedness?
We fail to solve problems because we assume from past experience that any given object has only a limited number of functions
What is mental set?
People tend to persist with methods that worked before, but a particular strategy might become no longer applicable.
What is analogical problem solving?
A type of problem solving based on detecting analogies or similarities between the current problem and problems solved in the past.
What are templates?
Forms or patterns in long-term memory that allow us to recognise familiar, meaningful stimuli by matching the input to the forms/patterns stores in memory and selecting the one that fits.
What is brainstorming?
A method of problem solving in which participants generate a wide variety of possible, non-typical solutions and subsequently look at whether some of these solutions can be turned into useful solutions. Used when confronted with a block in insight problems, with functional fixedness or with a mental set.
What is motivated reasoning?
The observation that people tend to reason in ways that make the conclusion they favour more likely.
