PSYC 221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Drawing Pin, Pliers, Functional Fixedness
21 Nov 2013
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Document Summary
What is problem solving? (or what isn"t problem solving?) You"re not solving a problem if the answer that you are trying to find is immediately apparent. Asking: what your mother"s first name? it is not really problem solving, because you can access the answer the immediately. Problem solving instead involves a series of stages of processing. When you begin the problem there isn"t a readily apparent solution. You would be mentally carrying digits over and so on. Problem solving usually involves a series of intermediate stages of processing. Example: three men and a rowboat problem (well-defined problem) 3 men want to cross a river. They find a boat, but it is a very small boat. Men are names large, medium and small. Clue: they might have to make several trips in the boat. Small and medium cross the river together first. Either small or medium return back with the boat.
