Chapter 10: Thinking and Problem Solving - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Chapter 10: Thinking and Problem Solving

Olivia Sheridan, Deanna Fugate,

and Sarah ObermanSlide2

Classic Problems and General Methods of Solution

Five

categories of problem solving

techniques

Domain-independentSlide3

Problem Solving Techniques

Generate-and-Test Technique

: Solver comes up with multiple

possible solutions to an issue and “tests” them until one of them

works

Means-Ends

Analysis

: An

individual wants

to

get from their current state to a desired state in the most effective way possible

.

Working

Backward

: The solver takes the reverse steps to get a final goalSlide4

Working Backward Activity

An example: Sarah walked from taking Chuck’s test to her dorm room. She decided to make a pit stop on the way; because of all the tears in her eyes it took her 1 hour and 25 minutes to walk to Johnny’s. Then it took 25 minutes to walk from Johnny’s to her dorm. She arrived at her dorm at 2:45 P.M. At what time did she leave Chuck’s test?Slide5
Slide6

Answer

UNDERSTAND: You need to find what the time was when

Sarah

left

Chuck’s test.

2) PLAN: How can you solve the problem? You can work backwards from the time

Sarah

reached

the dorm

roon

.

Subtract the time it took to walk from

Johnny’s to her dorm. Then subtract the time it took to walk from Chuck’s test to Johnny’s.

3) SOLVE: Start at 2:45. This is the time

Sarah

reached

her dorm.

Subtract 25 minutes. This is the time it took to get from

Johnny’s

to

her dorm.

Time is: 2:20 P.M. Subtract: 1 hour 25 minutes. This is the time it took to get from

Chuck’s test

to

Johnny’s. Sarah

left

Chuck’s test

at 12:55 P.M.Slide7

Problem Solving Techniques continued…

4)

Backtracking

: Possible solutions are listed and kept track of but can be changed if proven to be incorrect.

5

)

Reasoning by Analogy

: The

solver uses a comparison between a problem that has already been answered and a current problemSlide8

Blocks to Solving Problems

Constraints on solving problems include barriers that restrain one’s ability to think logically and rationally.

Sometimes blocks are so strong that they interfere with one’s capacity to reach a conclusion and actively solve tasks. Slide9

Mental Set

Mental set is the tendency to see a problem in only one way as opposed to seeing it from multiple standpoints.

Mental set often causes people to make certain unwarranted assumptions without being aware of making them.

Class Examples: Nine-dot-problem, man at home man in a mask, two-string problem (functional fixedness).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaI7N6J3rAcSlide10

Using Incomplete or Incorrect Representations

A separate difficulty in solving problems has to do with the original interpretation of the problem.

The situation can result in failure if the solver focuses on the wrong information or if the problem is misunderstood.

Class Example:

checkerboard problem & numbers game. Slide11

Expert Systems

Problem space hypothesis created by expert systems

Computer based system created because humans are limited, not experts

Humans are biased, can become overwhelmed

Inference rules- if- thenSlide12

Finding Creative SolutionsThoughts for artists or inventors said to work in different ways.

Already have insight towards solving problem

Frame of reference organized and interpreted differently than those less creativeSlide13

Unconscious Processing and Incubation

Working on a problem without giving rise to conscious awareness

Working out a problem in the same way many times, difficulty getting problem right because used to solving problem in a certain waySlide14

Everyday Mechanisms

Creative invention: directly remembering past experience or knowledge with various constraints

noticing where the problem is: aha moment

Contrary recognition: identifying an object beyond reality- cloud as a castle