Problem solving 4

there are 4 factors related to

finding an effective way of representing the problem (look at it from a useful perspective)

effective way of representing the problem: 1) problem can be framed in a different way: the way if framed can

either help you represent it in the right way or make it harder

Simon studies 4 versions of the mutilated checkerboard problem, only differed

in how they were framed

4 versions:

All identical squares, alternating colors, alternating words, alternating words that usually thought of as 2 contrasting things (butter and bread)

Hardest to answer

all identical squares: no encouragement to think in terms of alternating kinds of squares

less hard

alternating colors and words: some encouragement to think in terms of alternating kinds of squares

easiest

alternating words 2 contrasting words: stronger encouragement to think in terms of alternating kinds of squares

effective way of representing the problem: 2) analogical thinking

focus on structural properties instead of surface properties

analogical thinking is when

you understand something new or complex by comparing it to something familiar

structural properties are

properties that determine the solution to the problem (how problems are the same lead to knowing that solution is the same)

Because the Mutilated checkerboard problem & Russian marriage problem require to solve the same problem (matching somthing), they are

said to be analogous

o’don device is another ex for

analogy in problem solving.

o’don device is

medical invention that invented by a party trick involving a cork and a bottle, that helps extract baby from birth canal

the party trick and giving birth have

the same problem (pushing smth out) so o’don device was created

surface properties are

Properties that are not important to the solution may distract you from the solution (how problems are in different contexts, but require the same goal)

Mutilated checkerboard problem & Russian marriage problem have different

context (surface property)

some aspects of o’don device are different than delivering baby like

totally different things (bottle and cork, birth canal and baby)

effective way of representing the problem: 3) Expertise tends to help represent problems

appropriately: based on structural properties rather than surface properties

Experiment: both experts and novices were asked to

group physics problems based on similarities

novices tended to group by

surface features

experts tended to group by

structural features

effective way of representing the problem: 4) overcoming

functional fixedness

functional fixedness is when

you only focused on the convention function (the common functions) of an items featured in your problem

In Dunkel’s candle problem: if you have overcome functional fixedness of using matches and a matchbox to light the candle, then

you would use matchbox as the base for the candle to prevent wax from dripping on the floor

In this case of functional fixedness, expertise can be

obstacle

the more you know about how things are normally used, the more

you might get fixed on those way of using them

many techniques for creative problem solving involve

overcoming fixedness

brainstorming and thinking outside of the box help

look beyond what is conventional, to see new possibilities