Lecture 12 Chapter 12 Problem Solving PDF

Lecture 12 Chapter 12 Problem Solving Defintion Key word: Problem 1: The Gestalt Approach: Problem solving as representation and restructuring 1. How people represent a problem in their mind 2. How solving a problem involves a reorganisation or restructuring of this presentation For example, a cro...

Lecture 12 Chapter 12 Problem Solving Defintion Key word: Problem 1: The Gestalt Approach: Problem solving as representation and restructuring 1. How people represent a problem in their mind 2. How solving a problem involves a reorganisation or restructuring of this presentation For example, a crossword puzzle • How this problem is represented in the mind is probably different for different people • As people try to solve this problem, they may choose to represent only small part of the puzzle at a time e.g. Some people might focus on filling in the horizontal words first and then use these words to help determine the vertical words … = Each of these ways of going about solving the crossword problem involves a different way of representing it in the mind Key word: Insight Keyword: Insight in Problem solving Closer to ‘hot’ indicate they believed they were getting close to a solution Experiment Keyword: Non-Insight in Problem solving • Solve mathematical problem e.g. (1/5)x +10 = 25 = result indicates the mean warmth rating of their participants during the minute just before they solved the two kinds of problems Limitation: • Assume people have sufficient metacognitive ability to monitor their own problem solving process Obstacles to problem solving People’s knowledge about the usual uses of objects Both candle problem and two-string problem were difficult because of people’s preconceptions about the uses of objects. 2. Information- Processing Approach Conditions after each step is made toward solving a problem e.g. a larger disc can’t be placed on a smaller one Key word: Subgoal • Small goals that help create intermediate states that are closer to goal. • May appear to increase the distance to the goal state but in long run can result in the shortest path to the goal e.g. to free up the medium-sized disc, need to move the small disc from the middle peg back to peg on the left The importance of how a problem is stated For example: and the importance-to-solution used 3. Using Analogies to Solve a problem Analogical transfer e.g. Teachers use examples and specific cases in the hope that students will use them as models or analogies for future situation Analogical problem solving and the Duncker radiation problem 1. The solution is to bombard the tumour with a number of low-intensity rays from different directions, which destroys the tumour without damaging the tissue that the rays are passing through Analogical problem solving involves 3 steps: 2. The specific elements of the problem e.g. Effect of making surface features more similar Source problem: the radiation problem Target problem: the lightbulb problem = The analogical transfer from the radiation problem to the lightbulb problem because of the high surface similarity between rays • the radiation problem (rays) to the lightbulb problem (layers) Effect of varying the structural features key word: Structural features • the underlying principle that governs the solution • In the example of the radiation problem (rays) to the lightbulb problem (layers): The structural features are - strong rays destroys tissue for the radiation problem - strong laser breaks lightbulb for the lightbulb problem Surface features were the same but the structural features were different Source problem: the lightbulb problem Target problem: the radiation problem I solutions are similar Lightbulb problem: Fragile-glass version Structural features Underlying principle Laser intensity too high Breaks bulb Radiation problem: Lightbulb problem: Insufficientintensity version Ray intensity too high Breaks tissue Laster intensity too low won’t fix filament Same Different 69% solved radiation problem 33% solved radiation problem How experts solve problems Practical Creativity Example of Brainstorming