Back to AI Flashcard MakerPsychology /Cognitive Psychology Chapter XI - Problem Solving I
Cognitive Psychology Chapter XI - Problem Solving I
This deck covers key concepts from Chapter XI of Cognitive Psychology, focusing on problem-solving strategies, types of problems, mental sets, and creativity.
problem solving
an effort to overcome obstacles obstructing the path to solution
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
problem solving
an effort to overcome obstacles obstructing the path to solution
The problem-solving cycle includes:
• problem identification • problem definition • strategy formulation • organization of information • allocation of resources • monitoring • evaluation
4 strategies that can help in strategy formulation:
• analysis • synthesis • divergent thinking (e.g. brainstorming) • convergent thinking (narrowing your range of brainstormed solutions)
A well-structured problem has a …
… clear path to a solution.
An ill-structured problem …
… lacks clear path to solutions.
Example for well-structured problems:
• Move Problems (Riverrowing)
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
problem solving | an effort to overcome obstacles obstructing the path to solution |
The problem-solving cycle includes: | • problem identification • problem definition • strategy formulation • organization of information • allocation of resources • monitoring • evaluation |
4 strategies that can help in strategy formulation: | • analysis • synthesis • divergent thinking (e.g. brainstorming) • convergent thinking (narrowing your range of brainstormed solutions) |
A well-structured problem has a … | … clear path to a solution. |
An ill-structured problem … | … lacks clear path to solutions. |
Example for well-structured problems: | • Move Problems (Riverrowing) |
Means-ends analysis: | A strategy in which current state is compared to goal state and steps are taken to minimize differences. |
Other heuristics than means-ends analysis: | • working forward (starting from initial state) • working backward (starting from goal state) • generate and test ((non-systematic) generation of alternative courses of action) |
Isomorphic problems: | • formal structure the same • content differs |
Does problem presentation matter? | Yes! |
Some ill-structured problems are insight problems, because … | … you need to see the problem in a novel way. |
Insight is a … | … sometimes sudden understanding of a problem or a strategy to solve this problem. |
Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer thought about productive thinking as … | … involving insights and as opposit to reproductive thinking. |
Two ways to distinguish solving of insightful and non-insightful problems: | In insightful problems: 1. it is hard to predict your success. 2. It is hard to know how close you are to the solution. |
What can help to generate insights? | sleep, rest, divergence etc. |
Mental set: | a frame of mind involving an existing model of representing a problem or its context. |
Mental set aka. | entrenchment |
Problems in problem solving: | • having an entranched mental set • functional fixedness (a hammer is a hammer and nothing else) |
Another kind of mental set: | stereotypes |
2 kinds of transfer (influence of the solution of an earlier problem on the next problem): | • negative transfer • positive transfer |
Example for transfer of analogies: | military problem vs. radiation problem |
One can actively search for analogies btw problems, but what can be another problem: | Transparency: One sees analogies just because of similar content. |
Putting a problem aside for a while is called … | … incubation. |
Statements made by a problem solver a called … | … verbal protocols. |
Experts usually have an advantage because of two mechanisms: | schematization (developing rich, highly structured schemas); automatization (binding steps to a single step) |
Expert systems are … | … programs that can perform liek an expert in a highly specialist domain. |
Creativity means to produce sth that is both … | … novel and worthwhile. |
A measurement of creativity: | divergent production (producing a diverse assortment of possible responses) |
Creativity and the brain: | prefrontal cortex |