PSYC 213 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Sudoku, Prefrontal Cortex, Problem Solving
16 May 2018
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Lecture 019 - 03/27
Problem solving;
This class:
• Diff ways problems can be structured
• Well defined and ill defined problems
• One type of problem solving: insight
o Examples
o Overcoming blocks
o Theory of insight problem solving
• Another type of problem solving: analogical transfer
• What is problem solving?
• A problem is the difference between the currents state and your desired state
• Problems can come in a range of form : ie: math problems or real world
scenarios (more ambiguous)
• Problem solving is bridging the gap → it’s a multi step process that requires
developing solutions to shift from current (problem) to desired (goal) state
o It’s a higher order cognitive function (memory, attention)
• Problem solving depends on a problem’s structure: well defined VS ill defined
structure
• Well defined problems: situations where you have a clear goal state: you know
the situation you want and you are in a situation with task constraints
o Constraint: either limitations, rules or set boundaries → ie: in bowling that
would be the constraint of the lane)
o You have a defined path: how to move from the problem to solution is
clear (ie: bowling: throwing the ball at the pins)
• Another example is sudoku: the constraint is that the number and rows and
column cannot have any repeating numbers and you have a defined path: step
by step approach to fill this out
• Features of well defined problems:
o They have goal directedness: for these problems, the processes you use
to solve the problem are geared towards a particular goal
▪ Ie: sudoku: filling all the cells, you have your “eyes on the prize”
o Typically include a sequence of operations: the processes engaged are
done in a sequence of steps
▪ Ie: a recipe
o They are multiple cognitive operation: you use many mental processes
during these steps
o Subgoal decomposition: you decompose the problems into subgoals:
intermediate clusters of steps which is called creating a nested structure
▪ Ie: in sudoku: first fill the squares, then the rows then the columns
• Ill defined problems: they are not well defined → you don’t have a clear path to
take between the problem you’re in and the solution you want
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o States are not specified (ambiguous)
• Messy problems: they are harder to represent in our minds, they have fewer task
constraints and there could be multiple solutions
o Ie: what courses will you take next year? Why is your friend angry?
• It’s often strongly linked to real world situation and creativity because you have to
figure out the info that is appropriate for the context
• Is this well defined or ill defined?
o Getting rid of smelly garbage in the street: ill defined
o Converting a unit of measurement from inches to cm: well defined
• Well defined problems have more task constraint than ill defined problem
• fMRI study: they had P solve anagrams (when people are giving a jumble of
letter and have to figure out a word than can be filled) + they varied the amount
of task constraints
o For well defined they have constraint: can you make a type of music with
ZJAZ?
o For ill defined they had no constraint: can you make a word with ZJAZ?
• Comparing between the 2 condition: greater activity in the right lateral prefrontal
cortex for ill defined anagrams compared to well defined anagrams
o Maybe because ill defined problems have a higher cognitive load because
of the lack of task constraints
• Insight Vs analytic problems solving: represent different approaches to solving a
problem
• Analysis approaches: when you solve a problem you take a step by step
approach to navigate a path between a problem and a solution
o Very methodological approach,
• Insight problem solving uses a lot more creative approaches to reach a solution
and restructure the way you see/ define a given problem
o Requires more cognitive flexibility,
• What is insight?
• Happens when you’re faced with a situation or problem and you can’t find the
solution explicitly so you stop consciously thinking about the solution and then
after the correct solution will just pop into your mind
o The ‘aha moment or light switching on
• 2 unique aspect of insight: often associated with an emotional response and
insight is not about implementing step by step approached but about moving
around info in your mind
• We want to study processes associated with insight for a number of reasons
o Because insight occurs in a lot of different domains (ie: perception,
memory, language, understanding jokes)
o It also contrasts deliberate analytic problems solving that has been the
focus of research before so we don’t know a lot about it
o It is linked to creativity because at the heart of insight you need to
restructure something
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Ie: sudoku: filling all the cells, you have your eyes on the prize : typically include a sequence of operations: the processes engaged are done in a sequence of steps. Ie: a recipe: they are multiple cognitive operation: you use many mental processes during these steps, subgoal decomposition: you decompose the problems into subgoals: intermediate clusters of steps which is called creating a nested structure. Ie: in sudoku: first fill the squares, then the rows then the columns. It"s often strongly linked to real world situation and creativity because you have to figure out the info that is appropriate for the context. It also contrasts deliberate analytic problems solving that has been the focus of research before so we don"t know a lot about it. Ie: a candle is now wax and string: b. Another theory is the representational change theory: blocks in problem solving occur when initial problem representations are weak.
