🧠 THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING

Focused Thinking

Logical, step-by-step thought process.

Unfocused Thinking

Creative, free-flowing thought process.

Features of a Problem

Initial state, goal state, obstacles.

Well-defined Problem

A problem with clear steps and a clear solution.

Ill-defined Problem

A problem with unclear path and goals, often more interesting to study.

Challenge in Problem-Solving Research

Internal mental processes are not directly observable.

General Problem Solver (GPS)

Early AI model that uses means-end analysis.

Algorithm

A guaranteed solution method that is often slow.

Heuristic

A faster shortcut method that may lead to incorrect solutions.

Problem Space

All possible steps from start to goal.

Hill-Climbing Heuristic

Choosing options that get you closer to the goal with each step.

Means-End Analysis

A strategy that reduces the difference between the current state and the goal.

Working Backwards

A problem-solving method that starts at the goal and moves toward the start.

Reasoning by Analogy

Solving a new problem using the solution from a similar past problem.

Tower of Hanoi

Demonstrates problem-solving strategies and planning.

Gick & Holyoak (1980) Study

Showed that people struggle to use analogy unless prompted.

Expert vs Novice Thinkers

Experts focus on deep structure while novices focus on surface features.

Mental Set

The tendency to stick to old strategies.

Functional Fixedness

The inability to see new uses for objects.

Candle Problem

Demonstrates the concept of functional fixedness.