Problem solving Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the brain areas involved in problem solving

A

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

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2
Q

What is insight learning?

A

When you suddenly understand how to solve a problem, it’s like having an “aha!” moment

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3
Q

What is goal directedness?

A

When you take actions to reach a specific goal

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4
Q

What is subgoal decomposition?

A

Breaking a big goal into smaller, more manageable tasks (subgoals) to make it easier to achieve the main goal

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5
Q

What is operator application?

A

Using specific actions or strategies (called operators) to solve a problem and move closer to a goal

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6
Q

What is problem space / state space?

A

The entire set of possible states or situations that can be reached while solving a problem

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7
Q

What is a state and what are the different kinds of states?

A

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

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8
Q

What is a problem search?

A

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

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9
Q

What is a search tree?

A

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

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10
Q

What are 3 ways to acquire new problem-solving operators?

A

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

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11
Q

What does analogy refer to (analogical representation)?

A

When you use a solution from a similar problem to help solve a new one

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12
Q

What is an example of the use of analogy in science?

A

Rutherford demonstrated the validity of an analogy using the solar system as a model for the structure of the atom

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13
Q

What is the Tumor problem and fortress problem?

A

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.

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14
Q

What is backup avoidance? (an operator)

A

When people avoid recalling old memories to prevent them from interfering with current thinking or problem-solving

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15
Q

What is difference reduction “hill climbing”? (an operator)

A

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

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16
Q

What is means-ends analysis? (an operator)

A

A problem-solving strategy where you break a problem into smaller steps (subgoals), aiming to reduce the difference between your current situation (the “means”) and the goal (the “end”)

17
Q

What is the Hobbits and Orcs problem?

A

River-crossing puzzle with 3 hobbits and 3 orcs:
This problem demonstrates the concept of state space and how problem-solving involves moving between different states (the different positions of the hobbits and orcs) until a solution is found

Difference reduction: People experience difficulty in solving a problem at points where the correct solution involves increasing the difference between the current state and the goal state

18
Q

What is the General Problem Solver (GPS)?

A

A computer program developed by Newell and Simon that uses means-ends analysis to solve problems like humans do

19
Q

What is the tower og Hanoi problem?

A

It is solved by adopting a means–ends strategy in which subgoals are created

A classic puzzle involving three rods and three disks of different sizes. The goal is to move all the disks from one rod to another

20
Q

What is the jug-experiment?

A

A problem-solving puzzle where you are given two jugs with different capacities and asked to measure a specific amount of liquid. The challenge is to figure out how to use the jugs to measure exactly the required amount, often by filling, emptying, or transferring liquid between the jugs

21
Q

What is the mutilated-checkerboard problem and the Marriage problem?

A

Mutilated-checkerboard problem: With two corners removed from a checkerboard, it’s impossible to cover it with 2x1 dominoes because of unequal black and white squares.

Marriage problem: The goal is to match men and women so no one prefers someone else. A stable match can be found using algorithms.

Key idea: Both puzzles involve matching pairs, but the checkerboard isn’t usually represented as matching black and white squares, while marriages are directly seen as matching people

22
Q

What is functional fixedness?

A

When you can’t see an object being used in a new way because you’re stuck on its usual purpose

23
Q

What is the two-string problem?

A

A puzzle where you’re given two strings hanging from the ceiling and need to tie them together, but they’re too far apart to reach both at the same time.

Demonstrates functional fixedness, as people often fail to think of using the pliers as a weight

24
Q

What are set effects?

A

When past experiences influence how you approach new problems, making it harder to think of different solutions
(ex. the water jug problem)

25
Q

What is the Einstellung effect?

A

A mental block that happens when someone gets stuck using a familiar solution to a problem, even when a better or simpler solution is available

26
Q

What is the incubation effect?

A

Taking a break from a problem can help you find a solution. After stepping away for a while, your mind continues processing the problem unconsciously

27
Q

What is the Cheap-necklace problem?

A

About connecting four chains into one loop at the lowest cost.

Showed that breaks improved problem-solving

28
Q

What are examples of insight problems and non-insight problems?

A

Insight: Cheap-necklace problem

Non-insight: Tower of Hanoi

29
Q

What is Newell and Simons model of problem solving/terminology?

A

Explains how people solve problems by working through a “problem space” with states and operators

30
Q

What is the candle problem?

A

You’re given a candle, a box of tacks, and matches. The challenge is to attach the candle to a wall so it can burn without dripping wax on the table.

This problem illustrates functional fixedness—people often struggle to see the box as anything other than a container, not as a platform

31
Q

Describe the difference between set effects and functional fixedness

A

Functional fixedness is when you’re stuck thinking an object can only be used for its usual purpose, limiting creativity.

Set effects/Einstellung occur when you stick to a familiar problem-solving method from past experience, even if it’s not the best solution.

Difference: Functional fixedness is about objects, while set effects are about methods.

32
Q

How can problem solving relate to other topics?

A