The Psychology of Planning and Insight

Question 1

What is Planning?

Answer 1

deciding on the order and intensity of decomposition of problem
search through the problem space
mediated by external environments

Question 2

Problem components

Answer 2

Initial state: the problem as presented
Goal State: the aim/ intention/ desired outcome
Operators: things you can do/try/execute
Contraints:
limitations on what you can do/try/execute
Additional requirements/rules.

Question 3

Decomposition orders

Answer 3

Breadth-first
- advantage - minimal commitment
Depth-first
Advantage - immediate feedback; lower cognitive load
Opportunistic - capitalising on current state

Question 4

The state space

Answer 4

all possible paths between initial and goal states
the larger it is, the harder a problem will be to solve
concepts of bounded rationality and satisficing
tower of hanoi

Question 5

Information processing system

Answer 5

• Working memory
  constraint on planning steps
• Long term memory
  knowledge of solutions, operators and constraints
  Expertise

Question 6

The nature of insight

Answer 6

9 -dot problem
Phenomena
- Simple to state, hard to solve
- Fixation 
- Impasse
- 'aha'
- incubation

Question 7

The importance of insight - theory

Answer 7

Consciousness
Determinism
Modularity

Question 8

Three theories of insight

Answer 8

Representational change theory - its what you know that makes the problem hard
Criterion of satisfactory progress
its what you do that makes the problem hard
Multiple factor theory

Question 9

Enhancing sight: incubation

Answer 9

Divergent thinking
Linguistic insight
Visual insight