class 12

Theories of problem solving

Behaviorist theory

Cognitive theory

Information processing theory

Behaviorist

The focus is on observable behaviors. They do not care about the why or thought process.

Approaches

Trial and error: experimenting with new methods until you get it right

Hulls response theory- for a given stimuli, organisms have a series of possible responses ranked by probability

Cognitive theory

Interested in mental processes which determine how we solve problems

Stages by wallas

Preparation-define the problem and gather information

Incubation- think about the problem in a subconscious level

Inspiration- gain sudden insight on how to solve the problem

Verification- check if the solution is correct

Stages by Polya

U- understand the problem

D- devise a plan

C- carry out the plan

L- look backward

Information processing theory

Emphasis on factors which include

The capacity of the working memory

The organization of the long term memory

And how well we are able to receive stored information for problem solving

Artificial intelligence

The study and application of computer programs to solve problems