Lecture 11

Question 1

Problem solving

Answer 1

-relies on many cognitive processes
—attention, memory, decision making

Question 2

What is a problem

Answer 2

-when there is an obstacle between a present state and a goal state
—it is not immediately obvious how to get around obstacles

Question 3

Well defined problems

Answer 3

Usually have a correct answer
-certain procedures will lead to a solution

Question 4

I’ll defined problems

Answer 4

-Occur frequently in everyday life
-do not necessarily have one correct answer
—path to solution is often unclear

Question 5

Insight

Answer 5

-sudden realization of a problems solution
—“aha” moment
-

Question 6

Representational change theory

Answer 6

-proposes that insight requires a change in the way that we represent the problem
—depends on 2 processes
1. Constraint relaxation
-removal of assumptions that are blocking problem solution
2. Chunk decomposition
-parts of the problem that are seen as belonging together are separated into chunks and thought about independently

Question 7

Fixation

Answer 7

-people’s tendency to focus on a specific characteristic of the problem that keeps them from arriving at a solution

Question 8

Functional fixedness

Answer 8

-inability to see beyond
The most common use of a particular object and recognize that it could also perform the function needed to solve a problem

Question 9

Mental set

Answer 9

-a preconceived notion about how to approach a problem
-determined by persons experience and what has worked in the past

Question 10

The problem space

Answer 10

-the way the problem is represented
—including the goal to be reached and the various ways of transforming the given situation into a solution

Question 11

Search trees

Answer 11

Represent all possible moves branching out from initial state of problem

Question 12

Combinational explosion

Answer 12

-extremely rapid increase in the number of alternatives

Question 13

Problem solving as a process that involves search

Answer 13

-a search that occurs between the posing of the problem and its solution
—searching for a way to reach a goal
—ex. Tower of Hanoi

Question 14

AI algorithms

Answer 14

-unambiguous solution procedures
—systematic algorithms (guaranteed to find a solution if one exists)
—non-systematic algorithms (not guaranteed to find a solution)

Question 15

MINERVA 2

Answer 15

-a global match in fmodel of memory
—can be formally evaluated as a computer algorithm
——frequency judgments, false memory, selective memory deficits, semantic memory, etc,

Question 16

Instance theory

Answer 16

Collection of domain-general assumptions about how memory functions
-provides theoretical basis to evaluate potential functional abilities/limitations of episodic memory systems
—can be explanatory or exploratory

Question 17

Domain general explanations

Answer 17

-emergence from general purpose perception, attention, learning and memory processes
-externally informed through experience with a structured environmental

Question 18

Special system explanations

Answer 18

-special module with unique processing algorithms
-internally prestuctured to sense and use signals

Question 19

Instance theory assumptions

Answer 19

1. People encode the details of individual experiences
2. Retrieval is similarity driven
   -pattern in present moment retrieves experiences with similar patterns from the past
3. Lots of cognitive abilities may be understood in terms of processes involved in cued recall