Lecture 15 extra reading info:

Chapter 12: Problem solving: Cognitive psych: Eysenck and Keane:

• What is insight in problem solving:

• Insight is a sudden realisation of a solution, often accompanied by an “Aha!” experience, where the problem is restructured mentally to reveal a non-obvious solution

What is representational change theory:

Representational change theory proposes that insight occurs when the mental representation of a problem is restructured, often through:

• Constraint relaxation (removing assumptions)

• Re-encoding (reinterpreting information)

• Elaboration (adding new information)

What is a cognitive miser in reasoning and decision-making:

• A cognitive miser is someone who avoids effortful thinking and relies on simple heuristics or intuitive responses, even when more analytical reasoning would produce better answers.

What is an analogy in problem solving:

• An analogy is a comparison between two problems or systems that highlights similarities, allowing knowledge from a previous situation to help solve a new one.

What are the three types of similarity in analogical problem solving:

• Chen, 2002.

• Superficial similarity: shared surface features (e.g., objects).

• Structural similarity: shared relationships between elements.

• Procedural similarity: similar steps or procedures for solving the problem.

What are the four stages of analogical reasoning:

• Grossnickle et al 2006.

• Encoding – processing the information in the problem.

• Inferring – identifying relationships between elements.

• Mapping – identifying the overall relational rule.

• Applying – using the rule to generate the correct answer.

What role do working memory and fluid intelligence play in analogical reasoning:

• Working memory capacity helps maintain and manipulate information during reasoning.

• Fluid intelligence supports solving novel problems and identifying abstract relationships, which is crucial for analogical reasoning tasks such as Raven’s Progressive Matrices.