A group of participants has just completed a series of problems involving water jars. In each problem, the participants needed to fill the largest jar, pour from it once into the middle-sized jar, and then pour from the largest jar twice into the smallest jar. The participants are now given a new problem, which cannot be solved via this procedure. We would expect that the participants will

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The participants are likely to have difficulty with the new problem because they have become fixed on the procedure they have been using successfully. This is an example of a cognitive set, where prior experience or training can hinder problem-solving in new situations. The participants may struggle to break away from their established procedure and be less able to find a new solution.

A Group of Participants Has Just Completed a Series of Problems