Problem Solution

Question 1

What is the Newell and Simon framework?

Answer 1

Representation+search = problem solving

Question 2

Search techniques in problem solving comes in what two forms?

Answer 2

Algorithms, which always finds a solution but is slow
Heuristics, which usually find a solution but are fast

Question 3

What is the N queens problem?

Answer 3

Finding the amount of queens that can fit in a chessboard (8) without capturing the pieces

Question 4

What method is generally used in the N queens problem?

Answer 4

Heuristics, general rules with no algorithm to solve it

Question 5

What is the algorithmic solutionto the n queens problem?

Answer 5

Place each queen in the leftmost column, topmost row
If an impasse is reached, return to the last placement
Change that placement and try again

Question 6

What is hill climbing?

Answer 6

We continually step towards the goal from the start

Question 7

What is the flaw of the hill climbing method?

Answer 7

Reaching a local maximum in which no more steps can be taken yet the goal has not be reached. The peak of the mountain is a goal but you can get stuck at a local maximum

Question 8

Why do people hit a local maximum?

Answer 8

Lack of foresight- you don’t know what the ultimate landscape looks like/where to start. Blindfolded. Which steps would take you up, but you can get stuck at local maximums 1

Question 9

What is means-end analysis?

Answer 9

Not all problems can be solved by incrementally reducing our distance to the goal, therefore, we establish subgoals, which may or may not be in the same direction as the goal. Means are adjusted incrementally in relation to the ends

Question 10

What is an example of means end analysis?

Answer 10

Planning ahead which roads you have to take through the freeway in order to get to another location. Or using car, plane, and train to get to a location

Question 11

Describe working backward and why it is more powerful than hill climbing

Answer 11

Start with the goal and figure out what conditions need to be satisfied for the goals to be satisfied. Then figure out what conditions need to be satisfied for the intermediate conditions to be satisfied and so forth

Question 12

Provide an example of working backwards in real life (Rachel turns 30)

Answer 12

5 year plans/ 10 year plans to understand what conditions need to met by now

Question 13

What problem solving strategies can be used in any domains?

Answer 13

Hill climbing, means-end analysis, working backwards?

Question 14

Provide an example of a domain specific strategy: 3/5+2/7

Answer 14

Find a common denominator and solve from there. Cannot help you solve many fraction maths but can’t help you with another problem (such as learning how to type)

Question 15

Domain specific strategies are only useful when they can be?

Answer 15

Transferred from one problem to another with sufficient practice

Question 16

When learning math, students need to ____the strategy from the problems on which it is first learned

Answer 16

Abstract and transfer

Question 17

What is the tumor problem and the military problem?

Answer 17

Analogous problems: both cannot advance in one direction. Military problem involves many directions to avoid attacking neighboring villages, converge at the castle they want to take. Tumor problem is similar- cannot use strong rays on healthy tissue but need to use strong ray to destroy the tumor. Need to use many small rays.

Question 18

Describe Gick and HOlyoak presenting particpants with radiation problem after the military problem through suggestion

Answer 18

Only 30% participants offered a convergent solution at first, but when being suggested to use the military problem, 50% offered a convergent solution

Question 19

How did Gick and Holyoak attempt to decrease transfer deficit by changing the ending of the military story?

Answer 19

Claimed that it was important to use many small forces to be able to solve the problem (principle). However, it was found that prior to the hint, transfer did not really improve if they got the analogous story with or without the principle

Question 20

How did Gick and Holyoak attempt to increase transfer through a diagram?

Answer 20

Strategy of sending everyone through one road was showed with one big arrow, and then multiple arrows for small rays going to one location. Generally, the diagram with the story did not help and solving rates with just the diagram was very low

Question 21

What was Gick and Holyoak’s third attempt (through similar and dissimilar story content?)

Answer 21

Similarity conditon: both about army attacking a location and dissimilar story: attack fortress and firefighters attack a fire with multiple jets of water. It was found varying the content (dissimilar) is better at highlighting the core lesson. More than half of dissimilar participants solved the radiation problem without hint

Question 22

Spontaneous transfer from solved problems to unsolved problems is rare if _______

Answer 22

Problems differ in content

Question 23

What is the best means of achieving and promoting transfer?

Answer 23

Comparing multiple, dissimilar instances of the same solution

Question 24

Why is comparing multiple dissimilar instances the best mean of achieveing transfer?

Answer 24

Comparison facilitate the abstraction of higher-order relations (via structure mapping)

Question 25

Why does searching the spcace of possible move for one best move in chess difficult?

Answer 25

Because amount of possible steps exponentially increase significantly

Question 26

What is the question of Burns et al?

Answer 26

Are differences among expert chess players attributable to how well they search the problem spaces?

Question 27

What is the alternatives of Burs et al

Answer 27

Yes, what develops with expertise is the depth and breadth of serial search? No, what develops with expertise is the ability to recognize and utilize meaningful patterns

Question 28

What is the logic of Burns?

Answer 28

If variance in chess expertise is due to search ability then that variance should disappear in blitz chess where search is precluded`

Question 29

What was the methods of Burns et al?

Answer 29

Analyzed the results of blitz chess in US, Netherlands, and Australia. Performance in blitz chess was compared to performance in non-blitz chess, operationalized with skill rating. Compared the difference

Question 30

What was the results of Burns?

Answer 30

Up to 81% of the variance (who did well vs who did poorly) is explained by performance in non-blitz chess (skill rating)

Question 31

For Burns, was blitz chess an equalization field?

Answer 31

Not necessarily, the higher a player’s skill rating, the smaller the equalization factor despite equalization being present in low skill players

Question 32

What was the inferences of Burns?

Answer 32

Variance in expert chess is more attributable to fast processes (recognition) than slow ones (search). At the level of master, precluding search does not affect performance at all.