PSYCH 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Functional Fixedness, Categorical Perception, Temporal Lobe
Document Summary
Trying various possible solutions at random until one works. Logical, step-by-step procedure of trying solutions until one works. Takes a longer time, but guarantees a solution. Mental shortcuts that allow us to find a solution more quickly. Means-end heuristic: reduce the difference between the current state and the goal state. Divide the big problem into smaller problems, and work from current state to goal state. Can work from biggest-to-smallest sub-problem or from current-to-goal state. Working backwards heuristic: reversed version of means-end work from goal state to current state. Fixation: inability to see a problem from a fresh perspective. Functional fixedness: the inability to realize that something that has a certain use might also be used for performing other functions. Incubation: period of not thinking about a problem for a while. Mental set: a frame of mind involving a certain representation of a problem, its context or a procedure for solving it.