Problem solving Flashcards
Describe the brain areas involved in problem solving
Prefrontal cortex plays a role in the overall organization of behaviour and working memory. (central to executive functions)
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC): Monitors conflicts and errors
Parietal Lobe: Involved in spatial reasoning and mathematical problem-solving
Temporal Lobe (hippocampus): Important for memory and recognizing patterns (retrieves memories and integrates past knowledge to inform solutions)
Basal Ganglia: Involved in habit formation and simpler, repetitive problem-solving tasks
What is insight learning?
When you suddenly understand how to solve a problem, it’s like having an “aha!” moment
What is goal directedness?
When you take actions to reach a specific goal
What is subgoal decomposition?
Breaking a big goal into smaller, more manageable tasks (subgoals) to make it easier to achieve the main goal
What is operator application?
Using specific actions or strategies (called operators) to solve a problem and move closer to a goal
What is problem space / state space?
The entire set of possible states or situations that can be reached while solving a problem
What is a state and what are the different kinds of states?
A particular situation in the process of solving a problem:
Initial state: The starting point or the problem as it’s first presented.
Goal state: The desired outcome or solution to the problem.
Intermediate state: The various steps or conditions between the initial and goal states, as you work toward solving the problem
What is a problem search?
The process of evaluating different possibilities or states in order to find a solution to a problem.
It involves moving through the problem space by applying actions (operators) to reach the goal state
What is a search tree?
A diagram showing all possible states and actions in problem-solving. It starts at the initial state and branches out to possible next states until it reaches the goal state
What are 3 ways to acquire new problem-solving operators?
Discovery: You learn by trying things yourself
Being told about them: You learn by hearing someone explain how to solve a problem
Examples: You watch someone else solve a problem and learn by seeing how they do it
What does analogy refer to (analogical representation)?
When you use a solution from a similar problem to help solve a new one
What is an example of the use of analogy in science?
Rutherford demonstrated the validity of an analogy using the solar system as a model for the structure of the atom
What is the Tumor problem and fortress problem?
These problems highlight analogical problem-solving, where a solution to one problem (fortress) is used to solve another (tumor)
The Tumor problem asks how to destroy a tumor without harming healthy tissue. The solution is using multiple small beams from different angles.
The Fortress problem involves a general trying to attack a fortress with a small army. The solution is to attack from different directions.
What is backup avoidance? (an operator)
When people avoid recalling old memories to prevent them from interfering with current thinking or problem-solving
What is difference reduction “hill climbing”? (an operator)
A problem-solving strategy where you focus on reducing the gap between your current state and the goal by making the biggest step toward the solution