2. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
Problem Solving Strategies:
1) Trial and Error: Involves trying possible solutions & discarding those that are in error until one work (also known as “mechanical solution”)
Advantages
Guarantees a solution
(Works best with a small number of possibilities)
Disadvantages
Often applied haphazardly; extremely inefficient
2) Algorithms: a systematic procedure used to guarantee a correct solution to a problem. Although algorithms do guarantee that the correct
conclusions will be reached, they are time consuming.
When an algorithm is available, it GUARANTEES a solution
“Solve the anagram IHCRA”
Can be quite inefficient
“The first person to figure out my password gets a 100% on the next test”

3. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
Problem Solving Strategies:
3) Heuristics: a rule of thumb or cognitive shortcut used for problem solving. Allow quick decision making.
Advantages
Allows one to simplify a problem
Faster than algorithms (in many cases)
Disadvantages
Doesn’t necessarily guarantee a solution
More prone to errors than are algorithms
However, quick decisions are not always correct, and can lead to inaccurate judgments.
a) Availability Heuristic: rules of thumb that rely on the most easily accessible information known to the person
to assist in problem solving, are used each day, especially when it is necessary to quickly reach a conclusion.
b) Representativeness Heuristic: rules of thumb that rely on how well a situation matches a generalization or
prototype we have about an established concept, are used to help make quick decisions.
c) Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic: rules of thumb that rely on a starting or reference point to begin with
and then adjust to accommodate information, allow us to make snap judgments based on a beginning frame of
reference.

4. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
Problem Solving Strategies:
4) Insight: a sudden realization of a solution to a problem (“eureka
effect” or “aha phenomenon”).
5) Means-End Analysis: a problem-solving technique that relies on the
identification of a final goal and the prerequisite steps needed to
achieve that goal, is a widely used problem-solving technique.
6) Analogies: finding similarities between a current problem and prior
problems.
7) Incubation: stepping back from a problem to allow the problem to work
itself out.

5. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
Obstacles in Solving Problems:
1) Confirmation Bias: the tendency to accept information that supports our beliefs while ignoring information that counters our beliefs while ignoring information that counters our beliefs.
2) Mental Set: the tendency to approach new problems with strategies that may have worked in the past. Mental sets can limit our ability to “think outside the box” because we can be locked into previously useful strategies.
3) Functional Fixedness: the inability to see an object as being used for other than its intended purpose. Functional fixedness can impair problem solving if you don’t think that an object can be used any other way other than its intended use.

6. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
The Matchstick Problem
How would you arrange six matches to form four equilateral triangles?

7. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
The Matchstick Problem
How would you arrange six matches to form four equilateral triangles?

8. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
The Nine Dot Problem
Draw four straight lines so that they pass through all nine dots without lifting your pencil from the paper & without touching any dot more than once

9. 35.1 – Describe the cognitive strategies that assist our problem solving, and identify the obstacles that hinder it.
The Nine Dot Problem
Draw four straight lines so that they pass through all nine dots without lifting your pencil from the paper & without touching any dot more than once

10. 35.2 – Explain what is meant by intuition, and describe how the representativeness and availability heuristics, overconfidence, belief perseverance, and framing influence our decisions and judgments.
Intuition: an effortless, immediate, automatic feeling or thought – can feed our gut fears and prejudices.
Representativeness Heuristic: rules of thumb that rely on how well a situation matches a generalization or prototype we have about an established concept, are used to help make quick decisions.
Availability Heuristic: rules of thumb that rely on the most easily accessible information known to the person to assist in problem solving, are used each day, especially when it is necessary to quickly reach a conclusion.
Overconfidence: a tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.
Belief Perseverance: clinging to an initial conception after the basis for the idea has been discredited.

11. 35.3 – Describe how smart thinkers use intuition.
Intuition is valuable, but can be perilous if we overfeel and underthink.
Intuition is huge.
Intuition is usually adaptive.
Intuition is recognition born of experience.