problem solving pt 1

Question 1

What is a problem?

Answer 1

a situations with a current state a goal state an obstacle in between

Question 2

Gestalt approach

what is representation?

Answer 2

how a problem is represented in the mind

most problems have multiple possible representations

critical to determining how easy it is to solve

Question 3

Gestalt approach

what is restructuring?

Answer 3

changing/reorganizing a problem’s representation

finding a “better” representation aids problem solving

Question 4

Gestalt approach

what is insight?

Answer 4

sudden realization of a problem’s solution

often occurs due to restructuring

Question 5

Gestalt approach

what is fixation?

Answer 5

tendency to focus on a specific characteristic of a problem that blocks arrival at a solution

Question 6

Obstacles to problem solving

Fixation can take various forms:

what is functional fixedness?

Answer 6

restricting use of an object to its familiar functions

Question 7

What is a mental set?

Answer 7

a preconceived notion of how to approach a problem based on past experiences with the problem

Question 8

Analogy in problem solving

Answer 8

using a solution to a similar problem to guide solution to a new problem

Question 9

What is analogical transfer?

Answer 9

source problem –> target problem

russian prob –> checkerboard prob

Question 10

according to Gick and Holyoak what are the key steps in analogy prob solving?

Answer 10

noticing relationships between source and target

mapping correspondence between source and target

applying mapping to generate target solution

Question 11

What will imporve noticing (and mapping) analogy in prob solving?

Answer 11

elements of a problem

surface features:
-specific elements of a given problem

Structural features:
- underlying principle and relationships that determine solution