PSYCO258 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Divergent Thinking, Electric Light, Creative Problem-Solving

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCO258
• Professor: Weimin Mou

Document Summary

Problem- situatio(cid:374) i(cid:374) (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h there"s an obstacle between a present state and a goal state a(cid:374)d it"s (cid:374)ot immediately obvious how to get around the obstacle. How problems are represented in the mind is different for everyone. Gestalt ps(cid:455)(cid:272)hologists: idea that a solutio(cid:374) to a pro(cid:271)le(cid:373) depe(cid:374)ds o(cid:374) ho(cid:449) it"s represe(cid:374)ted. Also likely to differ from how it"s represe(cid:374)ted o(cid:374) the page. Solution to most problems involves suddenly discovering a crucial element that leads to the solution: often requires restructuring the problem. Metcalfe and wiebe (1987): distinguish between insight and non-insight problems: warmth judgements every 15 seconds. Insight problems solved suddenly: non-insight: algebra, non-insight problems solved gradually, de(cid:373)o(cid:374)strated that solutio(cid:374)s for i(cid:374)sight pro(cid:271)le(cid:373)s o(cid:272)(cid:272)ur sudde(cid:374)l(cid:455), as (cid:373)easured (cid:271)(cid:455) people"s reports of ho(cid:449) (cid:272)lose they feel they are to a solution. Fixation- i(cid:374) pro(cid:271)le(cid:373) sol(cid:448)i(cid:374)g, people"s te(cid:374)de(cid:374)(cid:272)(cid:455) to fo(cid:272)us o(cid:374) a spe(cid:272)ifi(cid:272) (cid:272)hara(cid:272)teristi(cid:272) of the pro(cid:271)le(cid:373) that keeps the(cid:373) fro(cid:373) arriving at a solution.