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cognitive research year 1 > problem solving > Flashcards

problem solving Flashcards

1
Q

what three aspects are involved in problem solving?

A
  1. goal directed (or purposeful)
  2. involves controlled (or conscious) processing
  3. lack of knowledge to produce an immediate solution
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2
Q

well defined problem

A
  • all aspects clearly specified
  • e.g. anagram
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3
Q

ill defined problem

A
  • aspects of the problem are imprecisely specified
  • e.g. writing an essay, not one correct answer
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4
Q

defining problems (Igor)

A

I- clear description of how everything is set up at the beginning of the problem (initial state)

G- what the problem should look like at the end ( goal state)

O- the actions (operators) to be taken to get the goal

R- what you are not allowed to do. (operator restriction

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5
Q

knowledge rich problem

A

can only be solved with relevant knowledge and expertise

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6
Q

knowledge lean problem

A
  • do not require knowledge
  • most info to solve problem available in initial problem statement
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7
Q

gestalt approach

A
  • distinguished between two types of thinking
    1. reproductive
  • systematic re-use of previous experience
    1. productive
  • novel restructuring of a problem
  • problems requiring productive thinking solved using insight
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8
Q

insight

A
  • Involves a sudden restructuring of a problem
  • Experience of suddenly realising how to solve a
    problem
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9
Q

facilitating insight

A
  • hints
  • increase the number of solutions produced on insight problems
  • even subtle hints are useful
  • incubation
  • problem is put to one side for some time
  • subconscious mind countinues to work towards a solution
  • forget previously failed strategies and adopt new approach
  • incubation vs control group working continuously
  • sleep effective form of incubation
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10
Q

alternative representations

A
  • looking at extreme conditions
  • black and white thinking
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11
Q

Thomas and liras (2009)

A
  • participants required to solve two string problem
  • regular exercise breaks e.g. swing arms
  • task relevant- more likely to solve problem
  • hints can be effective without conscious awareness to task relevance
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12
Q

changing problem representation

A
  • sometimes encounter a block or impasse if represented wrongly
  • need to change problem representation
  • constraint relaxation, inhibitions on what is regarded as permissible removed
  • re-encoding, some aspects reinterpreted
  • elaboration, new problem info added
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13
Q

nine dot problem

A
  • involves drawing four straight lines that go through all 9 dots without lifting pencil
  • assume that lines must remain in confines
  • key insight is to realise constraints must be react
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14
Q

past experience

A
  • increase ability to solve problems
  • can be misled by past experience
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14
Q

past experience

A
  • increase ability to solve problems
  • can be misled by past experience
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15
Q

functional fixedness

A

mistakenly assume given object has a limited number of uses

16
Q

mental set

A

tendency to use familiar problem solving strategy that has proved successful in the the past

17
Q

three jug water problem: lichens

A
  • using jugs had to end up with a set amount of water
  • second problem solved successfully by only 365
  • used familar problem solving strategy but was inappropriate for a new problem
18
Q

newell and Simon

A
  • we have very limited stm capacity and processing is typically serial
  • use knowledge lean problems
19
Q

heuristics

A
  • easy to use and often produce correct answers
  • means end analysis
  • note difference between current problem state and goal
  • from sub goal to reduce difference between current and goal
  • select a mental operator that permits attainment
20
Q

cognitive misers

A

someone who is typically economical with their time and effort on tasks

21
Q

cognitive reflection test

A
  • provides evidence of extent to which people are cognitive misers
  • overlap with use of heuristics
  • misers resort to simplest strategy
  • unlike heuristics (used due to limited capacity) misers are reluctant to engage in effortful processing rather than because they cannot
22
Q

analogical problem solving

A
  • involves using analogies
  • analogies involve comparision between current/previous problems and similarties
  • very important in everyday life, deal with novel situatations by relating them to situations encountered previously
23
Q

types of similarity

A
  1. superficial, solution irrelevant
  2. structural, casual relation among main components
  3. procedural, concrete operations common
24
Q

analogy detection

A
  • when participants told story would help solve tumour problem, 80%
  • however, only 40% when not informed relevance of story
  • lack of superficial similarities
  • the features shared help people see the relevance
25
Q

expertise

A

considerable specialist knowledge
- very efficient at problem solving
- high level of thinking

knowledge-rich problems
- goes beyond that contained within the problem

26
Q

better visual memory

A
  • difference in performance not due to better visual memory
  • when presented with positions that were unlikely to arise, experts no better
  • chess players possess more chess related info in ltm
  • accessed rapidly
  • narrow down possible moves
27
Q

medical expertise

A
  • can make rapid and accurate diagnosis
    eye tracking and medical expertise
  • technique provide info about focus of attention
    several difference found between medical experts and novice
  • short fixation
  • faster fixations on task relevant info
  • more fixations on task relevant info
  • longer saccade (rem)
28
Q

eye tracking

A

is consistent with

  • info reduction hypothesis , efficient and selective allocation of attention
  • holistic model, from wider area of each fixation
29
Q

plasticity

A
  • changes in structure/function of the brain that affect behaviour and are related to experience
  • taxi drivers greater volume of grey matter in postierior hippocampus

cognitive research year 1 (11 decks)

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