Questions tagged [problem-solving]

For questions regarding the processes through which humans, animals, or artificial systems reason through a challenge and the means by which they select a solution.

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Functional/Cognitive Acuity/Manipulability

I'm trying to find an existing construct for what I refer to in my research as "Functional Acuity" (hereafter FA). The concept of FA is analogous to what one can see with v w/o one's glasses....
1 vote
0 answers
69 views

Can one be "addicted to learning"? [closed]

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, an addiction is a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, ...
5 votes
3 answers
782 views

How can we get rid of the problems of misconception, assumption, and expectation?

I watched a TedX Talk that called "The Surprising Secret of Solving Problems Quickly" by Collins Key, about 3 problems that most greatly hinder our ability to solve intriguing problems. These 3 ...
0 votes
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681 views

Name for the ability to accept and react positively to challenges?

I am surveying early-stage entrepreneurs. The phenomenon I really want is their ability to clearly see, accept, and positively act on, difficulties -- maybe with their company, maybe their product, ...
1 vote
0 answers
50 views

What specific studies are there about looking up answers for non-credit assignments? [closed]

Are there (psychology) studies you've come across that are about how students perform after looking up certain answers--not all answers--for homework that is not graded? (I do not mean students who ...
4 votes
1 answer
96 views

Isn't fluid intelligence necessarily influenced by crystallized intelligence?

In this article, it is said: Conversely, Gf [general fluid intelligence] represents the ability to employ a type of mental operation to independently reason and solve novel problems; it does not ...
1 vote
0 answers
43 views

Reaching biomimicry solutions through pure reasoning alone

Introduction: I'm somehow fascinated by the Velcro invention story because, as far as I can guess, Velcro would hardly have been invented if someone was looking for an elegant solution of this kind in ...
0 votes
0 answers
21 views

Given a limited amount of time and an unlimited access to resources. Do the majority of people tend to solve a problem the "quick and dirty" way? [duplicate]

In my field of work (Manufacturing), I've noticed this behavior quite often. It doesn't matter how much resources they have, if they are under pressure, most people will try to solve a specific ...
25 votes
2 answers
831 views

Performance of a group solving a cognitive task: How does it scale?

Some intellectual, cognitive and perceptual tasks can be solved collaboratively. It is common knowledge that group performance is better than that of each single individual due to exchange of ...
8 votes
2 answers
580 views

Term for behaviour of transfering personal problems to other people and trying to solve them there?

I think my question is a little tricky to express, but I have observed this kind of behaviour pattern many times, and would like to know if it is coined in cognitive science. As an example, consider ...
1 vote
0 answers
21 views

Do solutions for complicated problems ripe during long breaks? [duplicate]

I often solve complicated problems by thinking about the problem for maybe 15 minutes, then taking a break for one or two hours, and then think for another 15 minutes. This often leads to much better ...
2 votes
0 answers
51 views

When learning a subject by working on a problem set, what is the optimal amount of time to spend on a problem?

In STEM courses, students solve problems in problem sets, as a way to learn through practice. Answers are often provided for some problems (e.g., the odd numbered problems in a textbook) and not for ...
3 votes
2 answers
653 views

Why do programmers work at night?

I can be described as a morning person, where waking up at 4:20 AM to catch a flight is no problem. My colleague on the other hand go to bed no earlier than midnight and often later than that. We're ...
1 vote
0 answers
79 views

Problem solving and memory size, conscious vs subconscious [duplicate]

First time asking here so I don't know the ethos yet of how liberal or strick this site is on the particulars. In spending my day programming in Prolog I often hit a wall sometimes and stop coding on ...
0 votes
1 answer
108 views

Cognitive bias with trial and error problem solving

I found through self-observation that while solving some problem I am more inclined sometimes to first try and manipulate the variables that require the least amount of effort to manipulate, rather ...
0 votes
1 answer
61 views

What is the name of this common anti-pattern

When you work on a project, for instance a program in the computer science field, many people pause or "bypass" work on it to work on a side project, often smaller and often a "helper" project, ...
21 votes
3 answers
2k views

How are autistic savants able to perform certain mathematical computations so quickly?

How do autistic savants (or other people with these abilities) compute equations like $81^{100}$ in 2.5 minutes? Which algorithms do they use? Is it an efficient one, or do they just have a lot of ...
9 votes
5 answers
42k views

Is there a psychological condition which promotes literal and overly complicated thinking?

Quote from Sheldon Cooper, Big Bang Theory IMDB Leonard: You convinced me. Maybe tonight we should sneak in and shampoo her carpet. Sheldon: You don't think that crosses the line? Leonard: ...
6 votes
0 answers
87 views

Talking about emotional experience

In a book 59 seconds (section "Creating the perfect diary"), Richard Wiseman cited Zech & Rimé (2005) - I had impression that he suggests that according to that study talking about ...
2 votes
0 answers
76 views

How do you call this: Feeling stuck and passively waiting for a solution [closed]

Looking for the name of a phenomenon I've seen in many, including myself. When someone is bothered by a situation in their life, will openly complain about it, but won't or can't come up with an ...
2 votes
1 answer
193 views

Body temperature increasing when trying to solve difficult problems

[ I am unsure if this is the correct site to ask this question ] I am a HS student, currently studying IT and personally I focus on the field of software (programming) and of course where there is ...
4 votes
3 answers
129 views

Talking about a problem helps (software developing)

I am 42 and doing software developer since 20 years. Since several years I know that talking about a problem helps. If I can't find a an easy solution myself I talk to a team mate or ask at a site ...
178 votes
6 answers
18k views

How is it that taking a break from a problem sometimes allows you to figure out the answer?

As a computer programmer, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon: If I am stuck on a particular problem in my work, often if I stop thinking about the problem and do something else, the answer will ...
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Does thinking out loud negatively affect one's ability to think internally?

I'm a professional programmer, and I also practice math. During both, I constantly talk out loud, even for simple problems. However, when I'm around other people I suppress the talking and I feel like ...
2 votes
1 answer
124 views

What is the modern definition for problem solving?

Apart from Polya's definition of problem solving in 1981, "finding a way out of a difficulty, a way around an obstacle, attaining an aim that was not immediately attainable.", is there a better modern ...
1 vote
1 answer
121 views

systems of thinking - how to relearn

According to Daniel Kahneman (Thinking, Fast and Slow), we have two types of thinking: ...
4 votes
1 answer
215 views

Functional fixedness for defining problems

Initial caveat: I have very little formal education in psychology or other cognitive sciences - just a couple classes in college. I read the guidelines in the site FAQ, but I'll understand if this ...
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

Relation of confidence and problem solving ability

My personal experiences have shown me multiple times that by only boosting my confidence in my ability to solve a problem, without gaining any additional knowledge, I was able to solve it! My ...
2 votes
0 answers
480 views

Anchoring Heuristic: a type of heuristic or the mechanism of functioning of heuristics?

Heuristic is a mental shortcut that helps us to make decisions and judgments quickly, without spending time analyizing any aspect of reality. There are several different categories of heuristics, ...
13 votes
3 answers
9k views

Why have historically most inventors been men?

I noticed something strange when I looked at about.com's list of famous historical inventors. You can see that most of the inventors are men, and only a few are women. Can this be explained by ...
4 votes
1 answer
559 views

Is there evidence for cross-cultural differences in problem solving skills?

Does the thought process in our mind for solving a problem or bringing out a solution to a problem depend on culture or language? If so, how can these skills be represented and addressed?
7 votes
2 answers
24k views

Why do some people only work well under pressure?

It is common for people to procrastinate. Putting off tasks until the resulting deadlines get closer and there comes a point at which the person will fire into action. (whether this point leaves ...
2 votes
1 answer
95 views

Anger and problem solving

Is there any evidence that a little bit of inner anger is healthy when engaging in problem solving? I personally feel this way, but feel that people around me misinterpret my anger as being directed ...
2 votes
2 answers
233 views

Which part of the brain is not working optimally if an individual is unable to understand scientific concepts and mathematics?

I have often observed that while I can understand concepts related to Finance and Literature very easily I find it extremely difficult to understand scientific topics related to Physics, Maths or ...
5 votes
1 answer
218 views

Can incubation be facilitated, while, at the same time, being focused on a different problem?

Is it possible to facilitate incubation as well as consciously think about a different problem at the same time, in effect multitasking, in order to gain insights more quickly, without having to stop ...
3 votes
0 answers
164 views

What problem-solving skills are essential for the Allen AI Science Challenge?

Recently, many in cognitive science and machine learning circles are very interested in the 'The Allen AI Science Challenge' that was recently announced. Here is a brief description: The Allen ...
4 votes
1 answer
6k views

Is critical thinking associated with IQ?

I consider myself a person with reasonable intelligence. In my job, I require a lot of critical thinking. I am good at think laterally, but sometimes I feel I missed important critical evaluations of ...
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

What are the characteristics that make complex problem solving complex?

In real-world problem-solving tasks that many people call "complex" (like flying a jet, programming, fixing a car, fighting a fire - the type investigated by the naturalistic decision making community)...
10 votes
1 answer
159 views

What research exists in the areas of formulating questions and "problem shaping"?

After recalling Eric Steven Raymond and Rick Moen's How to Ask Questions The Smart Way and a discussion in a systems engineering course regarding the impact of the proper formulation of a problem in ...
5 votes
1 answer
182 views

Research operationalizing so-called strategic thinking?

Is there contemporary research in trait psychology, which attempts to operationalize the structures behind a strategic thinking style? I'm thinking of a style of problem solving as taught in officer ...
2 votes
1 answer
48 views

What evidence is there for a correlation between being tightly focused on a problem and only using one part of your brain?

I've seen people tightly focused on a problem, in a state of 'flow' and when you break out of it there seems to be a couple of seconds of confusion when they adjust to the circumstances at hand. It is ...
1 vote
2 answers
112 views

How to best prepare the mind for a problem identification brainstorm?

I am a manager of a team of software engineers. We often use brainstorming sessions to generate solutions to problems. We use typical cognitive games, e.g. word association, to "warm-up" and ...
3 votes
0 answers
136 views

How to work on a research problem while sleeping? [duplicate]

Put it more formally, how to let your mind subconsciously work on a research problem when you are not actively thinking about it, e.g., during sleep, dinner, walking, or shower? Often I hear stories ...
7 votes
2 answers
948 views

Are there NP-Hard or NP-Complete problems that humans a really good at solving?

It has been noted that humans are good at solving the travelling salesmen problem under certain constraints. Are there other NP-hard or NP-complete problems that human beings are good at solving? Has ...
2 votes
2 answers
185 views

What do brains do when processing information, that Von Neumann machines cannot (yet?) imitate?

What makes a human processing information so different from a set of instructions in a computer? Solving a problem for any human operating with concepts is still much superior to lots of computer ...
3 votes
1 answer
124 views

Is actively trying to create insight inducing conditions effective in generating insights?

Kounios and Beeman (2009) show that many insight solutions come when one is in a relaxed state. Furthermore, positive mood helps with insight solutions. But practically speaking, is it wise to try ...
2 votes
2 answers
325 views

What causes students not to be interested in problem solving?

Sometimes students lack the drive for problem solving. One might say that they are bored. However, is there a scientific account on what causes ignorance of problem solving, when they simply are not ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why does splitting attention between a primary task and another task appear to improve performance on the primary task?

I've been thinking about my performance at various tasks and where my focus is at during them and something's really got me confused. It makes sense that devoting all my focus to a task while I'm ...
2 votes
1 answer
694 views

Effect of time limits on problem solving

I recently took part in psychological testing as part of a recruitment process to a job. I was not happy about the evaluation I got and I asked for a feedback discussion with the psychologist. The ...
2 votes
1 answer
231 views

SSRI Medications and Problem solving [closed]

I'm an Electronics Engineer and I work in Software Development. I'm on SSRIs, for years for different conditions, like bipoar, GAD, ..etc. I feel that my problem solving abilities really dropped ...