Problem 3- Problem Solving Flashcards
well defined problems
- problems in which the initial state, goal and methods available for solving them are clearly laid out
- example: chess
ill-defined problems
- definition of problem statement is imprecisely
- initial state, goal state and methods may be unclear
- example: being happy
knowledge rich problems
- can only be solved through the use of considerable amounts of prior knowledge
- chess
knowledge lean problems
- can be solved without use of much prior knowledge
- most of necessary info is provided by the problem statement
gestalt approach - problem solving - by wallace
- productive thinking: solving problems by developing an understanding of problem’s underlying structrue
- INSIGHT
insight
- suddenly realizing how to solve a problem
- reorganizing/restructuring of elements of the problem situation in such a way as to provide a solution (productive thinking)
- ‘aha’ experience
does insight exist?
-subjective report, behavioral evidence, neuro-imaging evidence all support a distinction between problem solutions based on insight and those based on more deliberate thought processes
functional fixedness
-inability to use an object appropriately in a given situation due to prior experience using it in a different way
Einstellung/mental set
-people use a familiar strategy even when there is a simpler alternative or the problem cannot be solved using it
problem space hypothesis
- an abstract description of all the possible states that can occur in a problem situation
- entire set of nodes occupies some mental area
heuristics
- we heavily rely on heuristics to solve problems
- > rules of thumb that are cognitively undemanding and often produce approximately accurate answers
Means-end analysis
-creating a subgoal to reduce the difference between the current state and the goal state
hill climbing
- changing the present state of a problem into one apparently closer to the goal
- > simpler than means-end analysis, use it when you don’t really understand the problem structure
Progress monitoring
-insufficiently rapid progress towards solution leads to the adoption of a different strategy
Generate-and-test technique
- generating possible solutions and then testing them
- useful, when there aren’t a lot of possibilities to keep track of
