Cognitive Psychology - Problem Solving

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, problem classifications, frameworks, and problem-solving heuristics from Chapter 11 on Problem Solving.

Problem solving

An umbrella term for any situation in which there is a goal state that one would like to achieve, but the solution cannot be simply retrieved from memory, requiring various cognitive operations and metacognitive skills.

Problem

A situation in which there is a difference between a current or initial state and a desired goal state.

Constraints

Limitations within which a problem solver must work, including rules, laws, social conventions, or a lack of access to a needed tool or resource.

IDEAL framework

A five-stage model of the problem-solving process developed by Bransford and Stein (1993) consisting of: Identify the problem, Define and mentally represent the problem, Explore possible solution strategies, Act on the solution, and Look back and learn.

Well-defined problem

A problem in which the goal (and any subgoals) and constraints are known, and by correctly applying specific procedures, a single correct solution can be found.

Ill-defined problem

A problem that has multiple possible ways to move from the initial state to the goal state, often lacking a clearly defined goal state or having too many or too few constraints.

Defining a problem

The process of determining the scope and goal of the problem and organizing the knowledge needed to address it, including mentally representing the initial state, goal state, rules or constraints, and allowable operations.

Domain-general strategies

Problem-solving strategies that are applicable to a large variety of different problems.

Domain-specific strategies

Problem-solving strategies that only apply to certain specific types of problems, such as the order-of-operations rule in mathematics.

Problem space

A mental representation of the initial and goal states, possible subgoals, constraints, and operators available to solve a problem.

Operators

The actions or moves that can be performed to change a state within the problem space.

Algorithm

A problem-solving strategy that is guaranteed to find a solution by systematically searching the problem space.

Heuristic

A problem-solving strategy or 'rule of thumb' that does not guarantee a correct solution, but works well enough most of the time by considering only part of the search space.

Satisficing

A problem-solving approach in which a heuristic search is stopped once a solution is found that is deemed 'good enough'.

Think-aloud protocol

A research methodology in which participants vocalize their thought processes while solving a problem, allowing researchers to study internal representations and strategy selection.

Trial-and-error strategy

A problem-solving approach (also called generate-test) where a solver generates potential solutions and tests them one by one until a solution works.

The Tower of Hanoi

A puzzle involving moving different-sized discs across three pegs to reach a goal state, constrained by the rules that only one disc can move at a time and a larger disc may never be placed on top of a smaller one.

Means-ends strategy

A heuristic strategy that guides search through the problem space by repeatedly comparing the current state to the goal state, identifying differences, and creating subgoals to eliminate those differences.

Hill-climbing strategy

A problem-solving heuristic that involves selecting the operator that results in an immediate state change most similar to the final goal state.

Working-backward strategy

A heuristic problem-solving strategy that involves searching through the problem space in reverse order, starting from the goal state toward the initial state.