Week 11 - Problem Solving and Expertise

Question 1

What is a problem?

Answer 1

• Situation that blocks an achievement of a goal
  -Learned or habitual solutions can’t be relied on

Question 2

Explain well defined problems

Answer 2

• Clearly defined goals and options for solving
• Way to measure the quality of solutions (easier to study)
• Eg. puzzles

Question 3

Explain ill defined problem

Answer 3

-Goals , options , quality of solution , hard to define
- Most real life problems

Question 4

Define Gestalt Approach

Answer 4

• Rejection of trial and error to look at solving problems through INSIGHT (sudden change in representation of problems)

Question 5

Explain Analogical Transfer

Answer 5

• Shifting problem representation by seeing solution to one problem through analogy with another
• Process of mapping solution from source problem onto target problem

Question 6

When does analogical transfer succeed?

Answer 6

• When problems are directly compared
• Problem content is similar
• When we notice problems are similar on the kinds of steps needed / structural similarity

Question 7

Problem Representation : Challenges

Answer 7

• Surface Features : irrelevant but salient aspects of a problem
• Functional Fixedness : tenancy to stay stuck on usual use of problem elements
• Einstellung : tenancy to rely on known solutions , miss better solutions

Question 8

Features of the Computational Approach

Answer 8

• Problem solving as hill climbing
• Difficulty of backtracking ( move back from goal to allow later achievement)
• Means end analysis look for actions that can remove specific differences between goal and goal state)
• Supported by subgoals (intermediate goals)

Question 9

Explain general problem solver

Answer 9

• Uses means end analysis
• Problem solver has greater awareness of how to break the problem down into sub-problems
• BUT needs to be given problem knowledge (what methods / how to measure goal distance / how applying method changes states)

Question 10

Difference between getting smarter and getting better

Answer 10

Smarter = brain training, music training , exercise
Better = Practising a skill ??

Question 11

Define what it means to expertise

Answer 11

• Acquiring knowledge and skill in a particular domain through extended experience
• Deliberate practice needed [Ericsson + Charness] : constant focus and coaching with feedback

Question 12

Link between expertise and working memory

Answer 12

• 1 participant studied with a 1hr memory digit task : 3-5x a week
• Initial span of 7 digits , after 200hrs , 80 digits
• Specific strategy showing identifying chunks and retrieval cues to chunks (LTM)

Question 13

Explain the chunk theory

Answer 13

• Chess players have much more information in LTM and encode larger chunks

Question 14

Explain the template theory

Answer 14

• Chunks that are experienced together form templates
• Templates are more abstract , specify likely positions of pieces relevant to reference piece

Question 15

Feature of expert attention

Answer 15

• Expertise can help train attention to diagnostic info
• eg. doctors detecting abnormalities in medical images , fingerprint examiners locating features identifying fingerprints

Question 16

Features of expert decisions and problem-solving

Answer 16

• Domain specific improvements in reasoning and problem solving
• Experts see different problems as similar
• Experts have learnt schemas to solve problems

Question 17

Explain how talent is formed

Answer 17

• Fluid intelligence is a predictor of career success
• Differences in innate cognitive ability may enable quicker learning