Thinking - Problem Solving

Question 1

What are the three crucial elements of a problem according to Dunker (1945)?

1) Starting state, operators, goal state
2) Initial condition, transitions, resolution
3) Objective, steps, final outcome
4) Initial point, strategies, destination

Answer 1

Starting state, operators, goal state

Question 2

What does the behaviourist approach emphasize in problem solving?

1) Trial and error through stimulus-response patterns
2) Restructuring problems for insight-based solutions
3) Incremental learning based on memory recall
4) Creative thinking and novel strategies

Answer 2

Trial and error through stimulus-response patterns

Question 3

What is the main difference between reproductive and productive thinking in the Gestalt approach?

1) Productive thinking reuses prior experience; reproductive involves restructuring
2) Reproductive involves prior experience; productive involves restructuring
3) Both rely on insight but differ in the type of problems addressed
4) Productive involves trial and error; reproductive involves creativity

Answer 3

Reproductive involves prior experience; productive involves restructuring

Question 4

What was the key finding from Thorndike’s puzzle box experiments?

1) Problem solving relies on incremental learning through trial and error
2) Insight is essential for solving complex problems
3) Behavioural responses improve without external rewards
4) Cats used reproductive thinking to escape

Answer 4

Problem solving relies on incremental learning through trial and error

Question 5

What did Köhler’s chimp Sultan demonstrate in problem solving?

1) Incremental learning through repeated trials
2) Insightful restructuring of the problem
3) Behavioural conditioning for quick solutions
4) Reliance on pre-existing knowledge

Answer 5

Insightful restructuring of the problem

Question 6

What stage in Wallas’ creative thinking process involves sudden insight?

1) Preparation
2) Illumination
3) Incubation
4) Verification

Answer 6

Illumination

Question 7

What experimental evidence supports the role of incubation in problem solving?

1) Thorndike’s Law of Effect
2) Silveira’s cheap necklace problem
3) Köhler’s chimpanzee experiments
4) Dunker’s candle problem

Answer 7

Silveira’s cheap necklace problem

Question 8

What did Murray & Denny (1969) conclude about incubation?

1) It benefits high-ability individuals more than low-ability ones
2) It aids low-ability individuals but can distract high-ability individuals
3) It has no effect on problem-solving performance
4) It improves both high- and low-ability individuals equally

Answer 8

It aids low-ability individuals but can distract high-ability individuals

Question 9

What is functional fixedness?

1) Inability to see objects beyond their usual functions
2) Difficulty in applying learned strategies to new problems
3) Overgeneralizing problem-solving strategies
4) Relying on insight for problem resolution

Answer 9

Inability to see objects beyond their usual functions

Question 10

What was demonstrated in Dunker’s (1945) candle problem?

1) Incubation leads to sudden insight
2) Functional fixedness prevents creative solutions
3) Problem-solving is entirely insight-based
4) Behavioural conditioning enhances performance

Answer 10

Functional fixedness prevents creative solutions

Question 11

What is the Einstellung effect?

1) Rigid use of previously successful strategies, even when inappropriate
2) Failure to recall past successful solutions
3) Difficulty in recognizing simpler problem-solving methods
4) Reliance on insight over incremental learning

Answer 11

Rigid use of previously successful strategies, even when inappropriate

Question 12

How is the nine-dot problem solved, according to Scheerer (1983)?

1) By using all available dots within the square
2) By drawing continuous lines within the defined area
3) By going beyond the assumed square boundaries
4) By finding incremental solutions through trial and error

Answer 12

By going beyond the assumed square boundaries

Question 13

What is the “feeling of knowing” in problem solving?

1) Knowing when a problem has been solved
2) Believing one is close to a solution without immediate resolution
3) Using intuition to identify the first step in a problem
4) Recognizing solutions based on past experiences

Answer 13

Believing one is close to a solution without immediate resolution

Question 14

What does Metcalfe (1986) say about feelings of warmth in problem solving?

1) They predict performance on both incremental and insight problems
2) They predict incremental problem performance but not insight problems
3) They are irrelevant to both incremental and insight problems
4) They predict insight problem performance more than incremental problems

Answer 14

They predict incremental problem performance but not insight problems

Question 15

What did Silveira’s experiment reveal about problem-solving breaks?

1) Short breaks improve performance for high-ability participants
2) Longer breaks result in higher problem-solving success rates
3) Breaks do not influence problem-solving success
4) Continuous effort is better than taking breaks

Answer 15

Longer breaks result in higher problem-solving success rates

Question 16

What problem-solving barrier was illustrated in Luchins’ water jug problem?

1) Functional fixedness
2) Einstellung effect
3) Trial-and-error learning
4) Incubation failure

Answer 16

Einstellung effect

Question 17

What percentage of people solved the nine-dot problem when told to “think outside the box”?

1) 10%
2) 20%
3) 40%
4) 50%

Answer 17

20%

Question 18

What was the solution to Köhler’s chimpanzee problem involving sticks?

1) Repetitive attempts at combining the sticks
2) Insightful restructuring to combine sticks into a longer tool
3) Trial-and-error learning through repeated failures
4) Learning through observation of other chimpanzees

Answer 18

Insightful restructuring to combine sticks into a longer tool

Question 19

What distinguishes Thorndike’s trial-and-error from Köhler’s insight?

1) Trial-and-error is faster than insight
2) Insight involves sudden restructuring, whereas trial-and-error is incremental
3) Insight relies on memory, while trial-and-error does not
4) Trial-and-error produces more efficient solutions than insight

Answer 19

Insight involves sudden restructuring, whereas trial-and-error is incremental

Question 20

What does Brown & McNeill’s “tip of the tongue” phenomenon suggest?

1) People can often identify the first letter of an elusive word
2) Problem-solving success is unrelated to initial feelings
3) Memory retrieval depends on conscious effort alone
4) Feelings of knowing are irrelevant in creative problem-solving

Answer 20

People can often identify the first letter of an elusive word

Question 21

What is incubation?

1) Incubation refers to the initial learning phase where new information is actively memorized and rehearsed for long-term retention
2) Incubation is a psychological technique used to measure an individual’s reaction time to external stimuli
3) Incubation describes the process of deliberately focusing on a problem without taking any mental breaks to find a solution
4) Incubation refers to the unconscious processing of problems when they’re set aside for a period of time

Answer 21

Incubation refers to the unconscious processing of problems when they’re set aside for a period of time