36 Questions
What is a common misunderstanding about brainstorming?
Group brainstorming is more effective than individual brainstorming
In what way do experts and non-experts differ in problem-solving, according to the text?
Experts spend more time analyzing problems
What is a potential disadvantage of being an expert in problem-solving?
Experts may be less open to new ways of looking at problems
What did the study by Taylor et al. (1958) conclude about brainstorming in groups?
Group participation inhibits creative thinking
How did the experts in the study by Chi et al. (1982) sort the physics problems compared to the novices?
Experts sorted based on structural features
What did the study by Chase & Simon (1973) reveal about experts' ability to reproduce chessboard positions?
Experts did much better than non-experts when pieces were arranged in actual game positions
What is the most difficult step in problem solving using analogies?
Noticing an analogous relationship
What increased the success rate to 75% in problem solving using analogies?
Prompting subjects to think about the story they had read
What aids analogical problem solving according to the text?
Making structural features more obvious
In the lightbulb problem, what resulted in 81% success for those familiar with it?
Using Duncker’s Radiation Problem as the source
What percentage of subjects were not able to see correspondences initially?
70%
What was used as the source for the lightbulb problem in the physics lab?
Duncker’s Radiation Problem
What problem-solving approach involves searching the problem space to find a solution, utilizing means-end analysis and subgoals?
Newell and Simon's information-processing approach
What problem-solving concept involves individuals verbalizing their thoughts while solving a problem?
Think-aloud protocol
What problem-solving strategy uses analogies from a similar problem to guide the solution to a new problem?
Analogical problem solving
Which problem-solving experience enhances the ability to solve the mutilated-checkerboard problem, demonstrating the impact of previous problem-solving experiences?
Solving the Russian marriage problem
What problem-solving scenario introduces the concept of using small bodies of men to safely pass over mines, demonstrating the importance of finding creative solutions within problem constraints?
The fortress capture problem
What problem-solving example highlights the difficulty in applying analogical problem solving, with only 10% of individuals arriving at the correct solution?
Duncker's radiation problem
According to Gestalt psychologists, insight in problem-solving is associated with:
Sudden realization of a problem's solution
What are the identified major obstacles to problem-solving by Gestalt psychologists?
Fixation, functional fixedness, and mental set
How did participants in the two-string problem overcome the obstacle of mental set?
By restructuring their representation
What does the information-processing approach, as described by Newell and Simon, view problem-solving as?
A search process involving initial state, intermediate states, and goal state
What do operators in the information-processing approach specify?
Rules for allowed moves
How are insight problems distinguished from noninsight problems according to Metcalfe and Wiebe's experiment?
Insight problems are solved suddenly, while noninsight problems involve a more methodical process
What did Gestalt psychologists emphasize in their approach to problem-solving?
Perception and learning, in addition to attitudes and beliefs
According to Gestalt psychologists, what is problem-solving about?
Representing a problem in the mind and restructuring its representation
What was the focus of Köhler's 'circle' problem?
Determining the length of line x based on the circle's radius
What did the Gestalt psychologists consider as an obstacle in problem-solving?
The difficulty of tasks and the non-obvious solutions
What did the Gestalt psychologists believe problem-solving involved?
Restructuring the problem's representation in the mind
What did the Gestalt psychologists take a perceptual approach to dealing with, in addition to perception?
Learning, problem-solving, attitudes, and beliefs
According to Gestalt psychologists, what is problem solving about?
Representing a problem in the mind and restructuring its representation
How did Gestalt psychologists approach problem solving?
They took a perceptual approach to dealing with problem solving
What did Köhler's 'circle' problem illustrate?
Restructuring the problem’s representation
According to Gestalt psychologists, what makes a task a problem?
An obstacle between a present state and a goal, with the solution not immediately obvious
What did Gestalt psychologists focus on, in addition to perception?
Learning, problem solving, attitudes, and beliefs
How did Gestalt psychologists define a problem?
An obstacle between a present state and a goal, with the solution not immediately obvious
Study Notes
Insight and Obstacles in Problem-Solving
- Different people represent problems differently, and their insights in problem-solving may vary from the presented picture.
- Restructuring problem representation can lead to insight in problem-solving, as suggested by Gestalt psychologists.
- Gestalt psychologists associated insight with sudden realization of a problem's solution, termed as "Aha" experience.
- Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987) designed an experiment to distinguish between insight and noninsight problems, with warmth judgments as a measure of closeness to the solution.
- Insight problems are solved suddenly, while noninsight problems involve a more methodical process.
- Fixation, functional fixedness, and mental set are identified as major obstacles to problem-solving by Gestalt psychologists.
- Functional fixedness restricts the use of an object to its familiar functions, as demonstrated in the candle problem and two-string problem.
- The two-string problem was solved when participants restructured their representation, overcoming the obstacle of mental set.
- The information-processing approach, as described by Newell and Simon, views problem-solving as a search process involving initial state, intermediate states, and goal state.
- Operators in the information-processing approach specify rules for allowed moves, as exemplified in the Tower of Hanoi problem.
- The Tower of Hanoi problem with 64 discs would take a trillion years to solve, even with moves made in a second.
- Insight problems are solved suddenly, while noninsight problems involve a more gradual process, as demonstrated by Metcalfe and Wiebe's experiment.
Test your understanding of insight and obstacles in problem-solving with this quiz. Explore the concepts of restructuring problem representation, "Aha" experiences, insight vs. noninsight problems, and major obstacles like fixation and mental set. Challenge your knowledge of problem-solving approaches and their application in solving complex problems.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
