What is problem solving?
- Purposeful
-(goal-directed) - Involves cognitive processes
-not automatic - Only exists when someone lacks relevant knowledge to produce immediate solution
Eysenck & Keane 2020
What are the two types of problems?
Insight Problems
Non-Insight Problems
What is the difference between insight and non-insight problems
Insight
* solutions require one-off insight
e.g. 2 string problem
Non-insight
* require incremental & sequential
problem solving
e.g. Tower of Hanoi
Does the brain act differently in insight and non-insight problems
Yes
Jung-Beeman et al. (2004)
Right anterior superior temporal gyrus was activated only when solutions involved insight
What was Jung-Beeman et al. (2004) study
- Remote associates test
- Given 3 words
- Asked to provide answer which links them
- Then state whether it was insight ot non-insight
fence card master (post)
What are the two theories of problem solving
- Representational change theory
- General problem solver
What is representational change theory characterised by
Ohlsson (1992)
Insight problems
* mental representations made
Current representation used to search
memory for relevant information
A block occurs when problem
representation is inappropriate
How does mental representation theory work
Ohlsson (1992)
- When problem is encountered
- Mental representation is formed
- Based on present perceptual info & prior knowledge
- Search that representation for a solution
- Insight occurs when a correct representation is formed
How can blocks be changed
Representational change theory Ohlsson(1992)
- Elaboration: new info (e.g. a hint)
- Constraint relaxation: extend ideas of what actions are possible
- Re-encoding (e.g. pliers can act as weight)
What is an example of representational change theory
Representational change theory Ohlsson(1992)
Kaplan & Simon (1990)
Mutilated chessboard problem
How does the mutilated chess board problem support representational change theory
Kaplan & Simon (1990)
- Most pps mentally covered whole board
- Each domino covers 1 WHITE, 1 BLACK square (re-encoding)
- Because board has 2 less WHITE squares (re-encoding/elaboration)
- Thus, 31 dominos can’t cover board
Re-encoding teaches you the fact dominoes cover alternate colours. Re-encoding/elaboration allows you to figure out that the board has lost 2 white squares
What is an example of constraint relaxation
Representational change theory Ohlsson(1992)
Knoblich, Ohlsson & Raney (2001)
IV = III - I
IV - III = I
Matchstick Problem
How does Knoblich, Ohlsson & Raney (2001) show constraint relaxation
Representational change theory Ohlsson(1992)
- Pps spent more time fixating values than operators
- Suggests that representations of problem specified the values needed to change
- Fixations on operators increased as pps approached solution
Add some shit about Solution following cue & Progress Monitoring Theory from the textbook
MacGregor, Ormerod & Chronicle (2001)
What is the theory of thinking for non-insight problems
Newell & Simon (1972) (compscientists)
The General Problem Solver (program)
What is the General Problem Solver characterised by
Newell & Simon (1972) (compscientists)
- The General Problem Solver (program)
If a problem can be formalised it can be solved by the program
Arrows represent operations which move through states
An operation is an action one takes to move from one state to another
What did Newell & Simon (1972) find with humans
The General Problem Solver (program)
- ‘Problem Space’ doesn’t work irl problems
- Humans have limited ability to process/solve problem related info
- Humans use heuristics
-Means-ends analysis
–Hill climbing
What is means end analysis
Newell & Simon (1972)
- Assessing diff between inital & goal state
- Form many subgoals iot reduce diff between initial & goal state
- Choose operators that help achieve subgoals
eg the concept of progressive overload
What is the hill climbing heuristic
Newell & Simon (1972)
- Choosing any operator that changes the current state to one that is closer or more similar to the goal state
eg if your goal is to climb the tallest hill, but you dk which is the tallest hill, just go up
You might reach peak of tallest hill, you might reach peak of a diff hil
Not necessarily a useful strat
What is an example of the hill climbing heuristic
Thomas (1974) Hobbits & Orcs
Why
it doesn’t make sense to go back to the left river bank
Flaws of these two theories of problem solving
- Only apply to either insight or non-insight problems
- Not really useful irl
- Individual differences
-working memory capacity - Descriptive rather than predictive
What is Transfer
Whether prior experience with problems help with solving future problems
Two kinds, positive transfer & negative transfer
What is an example of negative transfer
- Candle Problem (Duncker, 1945)
- ‘Functional fixedness’ – box is for holding tacks, not candles
- Improved performance if tack box is
empty @ start of task
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Lecture 0.5 - Brief History of Cognitive Psychology2
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Lecture 1 - Problem Solving29
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Lecture 2 - Reasoning24
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Lecture 3 - Judgement23
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Lecture 4 - Selective Attention27
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Lecture 5 - Word Recognition0
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Lecture 6 - Attention & Social Attention0
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Lecture 7 - Unilateral Neglect1
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Lecture 8 - Blindsight0
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Lecture 9 - Sleep & Cognition4
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Lecture 10 - Revision0
