PSY 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Representativeness Heuristic, Functional Fixedness, Problem Solving
30 Nov 2017
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A problem can be generally defined as a gap or an obstacle between where you are and where you want to be ex. Change cold one letter at a time until you arrive at warm- each intermediate stage must form a word. Word ladders show that problem solving is not only about insight and changing your rep. Instead many problems involve searing though a set of solutions. People often rely on heuristics to help them find solutions. Heuristic: mental shortcut; quick and easy but do not guarantee a correct solution ex. Algorithm: a procedure that will always yield the solution to a problem if followed exactly ex. Well-defined problem: a problem with a clear starting point and a fully specified goal (not in textbook) -ill-defined problem: a problem for which the starting point and goal cannot be fully specified (not in textbook) Solving (at least some kinds of) problems depends on: 1. how people represent a problem in their mind.
