Week 10 - Problem Solving Flashcards
Problem solving, for the Gestalt psychologists, was about (2)
(1) how people represent a problem in their mind and
(2) how solving a problem involves a reorganization or restructuring of this representation.
Insight has been defined as any sudden comprehension, realization, or problem solution that involves a reorganiza-tion ofa person’s mental representation ofa stimulus, situation, or event to yield an interpretation that was not initially obvious
Insight
any sudden comprehension, realization, or problem solution that involves a reorganiza-tion ofa person’s mental representation of a stimulus, situation, or event to yield an interpretation that was not initially obvious
analytically based problems (df)
are solved by a process of systematic analysis, often using techniques based on past experience
fixation
people’s tendency to focus on a specific characteristic of the problem that keeps them from arriving at a solution.
mental set
a preconceived notion about how to approach a problem, which is determined by a person’s experience of what has worked in the past
Newell and Simon’s approach to problem solving (3 states of problem / +3 df)
problem space - combination of all ‘state’s above.
initial state—conditions at the beginning of the problem
intermediate state–steps that get you partway towards the goal state
goal state—the solution of the problem
operators—actions that take the problem from one state to another
Means-end analysis - goal to reduce the diffference between the initial and goal states. Achieved via subgoals (goals leading to intermediate states)
think-aloud protocol (procedure and goal)
procedure: participants are asked to say out loud what they are thinking while solving a problem. They are instructed not to describe what they are doing, but to verbalize new thoughts as they occur. One goal of a think-aloud protocol is to determine what information the person is attending to while solving a problem.
analogical transfer
This transfer from one problem to another.
Target problem (problem to be solved) and source problem (problem that has similar features, and can be solved in order to solve target)
3 Steps in the Process of Analogical Problem Solving (according to Gick and Holyoak)
- Noticing
- Mapping
- Applying
Analogical encoding
is the process by which two problems are compared and similarities between them are determined.
analogical paradox
While it is difficult to apply analogies in laboratory research, people routinely use analogies in real-world settings
In vivo problem-solving research
involves observing people to determine how they solve problems in real-world situations
divergent thinking
thinking that is open-ended, involving a large number of potential “solutions”
creative cognition
A method of individual idea generation that trains people to think creatively.
preinventive forms
ideas that precede the creation of a finished creative product.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
This is a procedure for stimulating the brain in which two electrodes are placed on
a person’s head. These electrodes are connected to a battery-powered device that delivers direct current. One of the electrodes is the cathodal electrode, which is neg-atively charged and decreases the excitability of neurons under the electrode. The other is the anodal electrode, which is positively charged and increases the excitability of neurons under the electrode
compound remote-associate problem
three words are presented, such as pine, crab, and sauce, and the task is to determine one word that, when combined with each of these words, forms a new word or a phrase (pineapple, crabapple, and applesauce, in this example)
alternate uses task (AUT; also called the unusual uses task)
participants have 2 minutes to think of unusual uses for common objects.
For example, how many unusual uses can you think of for bricks?
volitional daydreaming
The act of choosing to disengage from external tasks in order to pursue an internal stream of thought that might have positive outcomes is called
Mindfulness df
“paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.”
focused attention (FA) meditation
The basic procedure for FA mediation is to focus on one thing, like the in and out of your breath, and when your mind wanders, as it inevitability will, to bring your attention back to your breath. THIS CAN REDUCE CREATIVITY
open monitoring (OM) meditation
OM meditation, which involves simply paying attention to whatever comes into the mind, and to follow this thought until something else comes along, does not decrease mind wandering
