Chapter 12: Problem-Solving and Creativity

subgoals

create intermediate states closer to goal

Operators

rules specify which moves are allowed and which are not

think-aloud protocol

say aloud what one is thinking

Duncker's Radiation Problem

Analogies aid problem-solving Often hints must be given to notice connection Surface features get in the way Structural features must be used

open monitoring mediation

pay attention to whatever comes up and follow it until the next thing

means-end analysis

reduce differences between initial and goal states

Trade-off strategies

"i'll give you A if you give me B"

in vivo problem solving research

People are observed to determine how they solve problems in the real world Advantage: naturalistic setting Disadvantages: time-consuming, cannot isolate and control variables

Contingency Strategy

Person gets what they want if something else happens

The analogy that makes the solution to the mutilated checkerboard problem obvious is the _________________ problem.

Russian marriage

mental set

a preconceived notion about how to approach a problem, past experiences

insight in problem solving

a sudden realization of a problem's solution

Dr. Chan is doing a follow-up study to the mutilated checkerboard problem experiment. In this new study, participants solve the following shoe problem before tackling the checkerboard problem. By doing this, Dr. Chan is studying the effect of _________________ on problem solving. The shoe problem: A first-grade class is using a trampoline in gym class, so all the children have removed their shoes, which are all jumbled in a large pile. One of the students, Miguel, is leaving early, so the teacher tells him to grab his shoes and report to the lobby. In his hurry, Miguel grabs two identical left-footed, size 6 red sneakers and runs to his mother still sock-footed. Will the remaining students be able to shoe-up with the remaining shoes without getting a foot-ache?

analogies

The text's discussion of the research on in vivo problem solving highlighted that _________________ play(s) an important role in solving scientific problems.

analogies

Which of the following is the core concept underlying the Gestalt perspective on problems?

analogy

In the information-processing approach to problem solving, an operator is most closely associated with ________.

analysis

Which of the following is NOT commonly associated with people who are considered highly creative?

analysis

Which term best describes the task of factoring the equation 9x2 + 5x - 7 = 4x2 - 2x + 8?

analytical

Restructuring

changes the problem's representation

Chi and Snyder

deactivated left anterior temporal lobe causing people to think "outside of the box" in nine-dot problem

Metcalfe and Wiebe gave participants problems to solve and asked them to make "warmth" judgments every 15 seconds to indicate how close they felt they were to a solution. The purpose of this experiment was to

demonstrate a difference between how people solve insight and non-insight problems

In its discussion of expertise and problem solving, your text identifies the kind of scientists who are most likely to make revolutionary discoveries in their fields. This particular discussion suggests that _________________ may be more important than _________________ in creative thinking.

flexibility; experience

focused attention meditation

focus on one thins such as the breath, and return to it when distraction

Holly was in her mother-in-law's kitchen preparing lunch for the family. When she was ready to dish up the soup, she searched all the cupboards and drawers for a ladle but couldn't find one. She decided to wait until her mother-in-law returned to ask her where the ladle was, leaving the soup in the stove pot. Her mother-in-law later explained that the ladle had been broken, so she told Holly to use a coffee mug to "spoon" the soup into bowls. Holly's ability to solve the "dish up the soup" problem was hindered by which of the following obstacles?

functional fixedness

Experts categorize problems based on

general principles that problems share

Which of the following is not true about divergent thinking?

it has a single correct answer

The analogical paradox refers to problem-solving differences between

laboratory and real-world settings

Subgoals serve a key role in which of the following?

means-end analysis

divergent thinking

open-ended; large number of potential "solutions"

Which of the following correctly pairs a problem-solving stage with a process under Basadur's model?

problem solving: planning

volitional daydreaming

purposeful mind wandering

Warmth judgments on nearness to a solution _________________ prior to the solution of an insight problem and _________________prior to the solution of a non-insight problem.

rise suddenly just; gradually rise

analogical encoding

the process by which two problems are compared and similarities between them are determined

analogical transfer

transfer from one problem to another

Which problem provides an example of how functional fixedness can hinder solution of a problem?

two-string problem

analagies to solve problems

using a solution to a similar problem guides solution to new problem

analogical paradox

It can be difficult to apply analogies in the laboratory, but people routinely use analogies in real-world settings

Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987)

- Insight: triangle problem, chain problem - Noninsight: algebra - Warmth judgments every 15 seconds - Insight problems solved suddenly - Noninsight problems solved gradually

Kounios and coworkers

-EEG -frontal lobe activity increased before insight solutions -occipital lobe activity increased before noninsight solutions

solitude

avoiding distractions; giving the mind space and time to make new connections and find meaning

What is a problem?

an obstacle b/w a present state and a goal

The ability to shift experience from one problem-solving situation to a similar problem is known as

analogical transfer

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to the results of research on differences between how experts and novices solve problems?

being an expert in one field can transfer to better problem solving in another field

In Kaplan and Simon's experiment, they presented different versions of the mutilated checkerboard problem. Participants in the _________________ group had the fastest response time.

bread and butter

The typical purpose of subgoals is to

bring the problem solver closer and closer to the goal state

multilated checkerboard problem

conditions differed in how much information provided about the squares, easier to solve when information is provided that points toward the correct representation of the problem

When the process of analogical problem solving was applied to the fortress and radiation problems, which of the following represented the mapping step of this process?

connecting the fortress with the tumor

Intermediate states can be created by

creating subgoals

incubation

getting ideas after taking "time-out" from working on a problem

How experts solve problems

- experts solve problems in their field faster with a higher success rate than beginners - experts posses more knowledge about their fields -knowledge is organized so it can be accessed when needed to work on a problem -experts spend more time analyzing problems -experts are no better than novices when given problems outside of their field -experts less likely to be open to new ways of looking at problems

Phoenix Decorating Company is responsible for designing and building many of the floral floats seen in the Tournament of Roses Parade every New Year's Day. Phoenix's designers start preparing the floats for the next year's parade soon after the first of the year. For each corporate sponsor, Phoenix gets their best advertising team members, and they sit in a room for several hours throwing out every idea they can come up with, no matter how good or bad it is. After a substantial list has been created, they then go through every idea and rate its merits or deficits, until they come up with the best idea to pitch to the corporate sponsor. This process demonstrates

group brainstorming

Which of the following is not part of a complete definition of a problem?

has one correct answer

Mayseless and coworkers

higher originality ratings associated with higher activity of structures in default mode network

preinventive forms

ideas that precede creation of finished creative product

A researcher records a brainstorming session in an industrial research and development department rather than in an artificial laboratory setting. Later, she analyzes the recorded discussions, identifying certain problem-solving techniques. This research is an example of_________________ research.

in vivo problem solving

In the Tower of Hanoi problem, the _________________ state involves having three discs stacked on the left peg, with the middle and right pegs empty.

initial

creativity

innovated thinking, novel ideas, new connections b/w existing ideas

Gick and Holyoak proposed that analogical problem solving involves the following three steps:

noticing, mapping, and applying

Finke's "creating an object" experiment had participants create a novel object by combining parts. Once they created an object, they were given the name of an object category and instructed to interpret their creation as a practical object or device within that category. Finke used the term preinventive forms to describe the

novel objects before a function was described

Ellamil et all

regions of the DMN and ECN more strongly activated during idea evaluation than idea generation, normally DMN and ECN work in opposition but creative thinking is different

The circle problem, in which the task is to determine the length of a line inside a circle, was proposed to illustrate

representation and restructuring

The Gestalt Approach

representing a problem in the mind

Functional fixedness

restricting use of an object to its familiar functions

The water-jug problem demonstrates that one consequence of having a procedure that does provide a solution to a problem is that, if well-learned, it may prevent us from

seeing more efficient solutions to the problem

creative cognition

technique to train people to think creatively

Research conducted by Chi and Snyder demonstrated that the Gestalt-style perceptual grouping of items occurs in which region of the brain?

temporal lobe

Illustrative of functional fixedness, people are more likely to solve the candle problem if

the box is empty