Exam 11: Problem Solving

______ searches consider only part of the search space. Instead of considering all possible solutions, we instead mentally consider potential chains of subproblems, evaluating how each operator changes the current state.

Employing the hill-climbing strategy is an example of using a(n) ______ strategy.

To overcome the idea of functional fixedness, we develop solutions to problems based in part on ______.

A problem is ______.

In Gick and Holyoak's study (1980), what was the key to having participants solve the problem of how to help the patient with the inoperable tumor?

Distinguish between well- and ill-defined problems. Give three examples of each.

The productive processes involved in the Gestalt approach include creating ______ of information structured to achieve particular goals.

All problem-solving processes are unconscious.

The means-ends strategy guides the search through the problem space by repeatedly ignoring the current state of the problem in favor of the goal state.

______ is a common barrier to our ability to solve problems.

Gestalt psychologists were in favor of purely associationist theories of problem-solving.

Functional ______ is focusing on how things are usually used, while ignoring other potential uses.

Which of the following are processes that Janet Davidson and her colleagues proposed to underlie problem solving?

A prescribed problem-solving strategy that always leads to the correct solution in problems with a single correct solution is a(n) ______, while a problem-solving strategy that does not always lead to the correct solution is a(n) ______.

Mental set is similar to the functional fixedness bias.

A Sudoku puzzle is an example of a(n) ______.

While working in a lab, you encounter a problem with your experiment. You spend days trying to figure out what is wrong, and finally, it pops into your head that the temperature in the room is incorrect, causing fluctuations in your results. This is an example of ______.

Consider the following scenario. You are at work, and the strap on your shoe breaks. You have to figure out a way to fix it; otherwise, you will not be able to walk properly with both shoes. You use a paperclip to hold the strap on. This example rejects the idea of ______.

______ are problems that have a clearly defined goal state and constraints, whereas ______ are problems that lack a clearly defined goal state and constraints.

Imagine that you are writing a paper and are entering all your references into your bibliography manually. You complete that paper and begin a new one. You start to enter all your references manually again, even though your friend just told you about a great program that does all of that for you and allows you to reformat things within seconds. However, you insist on continuing with your old ways. This example illustrates ______.