Question 1

People often compare experts to novices.Which of the following claims about this comparison is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Experts do not necessarily start out with better problem-solving strategies; rather, they develop these strategies through extensive experience and practice in their field. This development is what allows them to reach expert levels of performance, not an inherent advantage in problem-solving strategies from the beginning.

Question 2

Experts have several advantages in problem solving.Which of the following is NOT an advantage that was mentioned in this textbook?

Accepted Answer

Option A is not an advantage mentioned in the textbook. The other options, B, C, and D, are mentioned as advantages of experts in problem-solving.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a procedure that makes analogy use more likely?

Accepted Answer

Offering financial bonuses for solving test problems does not necessarily make analogy use more likely. While it may provide motivation for participants to solve problems, it does not necessarily encourage them to think about the similarities between problems or to use analogies to solve them. On the other hand, options A, C, and D all involve procedures that encourage participants to make use of analogy. For example, giving participants two analogous problems (option A) can help them see the connections between problems and apply similar strategies to solve them. Similarly, asking participants to compare training problems to one another (option C) can help them identify similarities and differences that can be used to make analogies. Finally, encouraging participants to understand the solutions to training problems (option D) can help them identify underlying principles that can be applied to new problems.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT an advantage gained by visualizing a problem via a mental image?

Accepted Answer

This statement is describing a specific advantage of visualizing problems via mental images that the other options do not mention. Therefore, C is the correct answer as it is NOT an advantage gained by visualizing a problem via a mental image. A, B, and D are all advantages of visualization.

Question 5

Participants' use of hill climbing is evident in that

Accepted Answer

Hill climbing is a problem-solving strategy where participants make choices that seem to lead directly closer to the goal state. Choice B reflects this as it mentions problem-solving getting stalled if moving away from the goal state is required, indicating reliance on hill climbing where direct progress towards the goal is preferred.

Question 6

Expert problem solvers

Accepted Answer

Expert problem solvers tend to see the deep structure of a problem and categorize problems based on it. This allows them to solve the problem more efficiently and effectively as they can apply their knowledge and experience to the underlying structure of the problem rather than just the surface level. Option A is incorrect as experts do focus on the deep structure. Option B is incorrect as experts use analogies more often than novices as they have a larger knowledge base to draw from. Option D is incorrect as mapping is an important part of analogy use for experts.

Question 7

In general,a training procedure will promote subsequent analogy use if the procedure

Accepted Answer

Encouraging participants to pay attention to the training problem's deep structure helps to promote subsequent analogy use. This involves highlighting the underlying relationships and principles of the problem, rather than just the surface details. This approach helps individuals to recognize similar underlying structures in new problems and apply the same principles to solve them. Simply focusing on the wording or exact formulation of the problem may not promote this deeper understanding and ability to transfer knowledge to new situations. Teaching general principles about how analogies function may be helpful, but this alone may not be enough to support effective analogy use without also emphasizing the deeper structure of the problems being studied.

Question 8

Two groups of participants are given sets of training problems to solve.One group of participants is told to try to understand the structure of each problem,while the other group is asked to try to memorize the problems.They are later given test problems.Based on previous evidence,what results would you expect to see at testing?

Accepted Answer

Previous evidence suggests that focusing on problem structure during training leads to better problem-solving performance and the use of analogies, while rote memorization does not necessarily improve problem solving. Therefore, we would expect the "structure" group to perform better and use analogies more often during testing. The other options are less likely based on previous evidence.

Question 9

Which of the following is a heuristic commonly used in problem solving?

Accepted Answer

Means-end analysis is a heuristic commonly used in problem solving where one identifies the difference between the current state and goal state and works on reducing the difference by applying relevant means. Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias, regression analysis is a statistical technique, and local minimization is a concept in optimization.

Question 10

Herbert solved the "tumor" problem by using an analogy with the "general and fortress" problem.In doing this,he realized that "tumor" corresponds to "fortress," "radiation" corresponds to "attacking army," and so on.The process of determining these correspondences is called

Accepted Answer

Mapping is the process of determining correspondences between different domains or problems, as Herbert did by linking elements of the "tumor" problem with those of the "general and fortress" problem.

Question 11

Experts seem able to break a problem into meaningful chunks.This strategy provides all of the following advantages EXCEPT for

Accepted Answer

The strategy of breaking a problem into meaningful chunks does not necessarily draw the expert's attention to the problem's microstructure (i.e. its smallest details or components). Instead, it helps experts identify subproblems and subgoals, remember the elements of the problem, and see the organization or structure of the problem's elements.

Question 12

All of the states one can reach in solving a problem together are said to make up the

Accepted Answer

The problem space refers to all of the possible states that can be reached in the process of solving a problem. This includes both valid and invalid states, as well as the pathways and operators used to reach those states. Therefore, option D is the most appropriate answer.

Question 13

In order to teach students to be better problem solvers,we should do all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Teaching students to memorize related problems rather than understand them does not contribute to the development of better problem-solving skills. Rather, it encourages rote learning and hinders critical thinking. The other options, such as teaching heuristics, providing relevant experience, and emphasizing deep structure, all contribute to improving problem-solving abilities.

Question 14

In many studies,participants fail to use analogies as an aid to problem solving.Of the following,which is the most plausible explanation of this fact?

Accepted Answer

This explanation is supported by research that has found that people tend to focus on the surface features of a problem, rather than the underlying structure, which makes it less likely that they will think of relevant analogies.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a benefit received from using a means-end analysis to solve a problem?

Accepted Answer

Using means-end analysis does not encourage a person to move away from the goal initially. In fact, it focuses on identifying the differences between the current state and the goal state, breaking down the problem into subproblems, and determining the next step in the problem solution process.

Question 16

One plan for solving a problem would be to consider every possible option,searching for the best solution.This broad plan is

Accepted Answer

Considering every possible option, known as exhaustive search, is often impractical due to the vast number of possibilities in complex problems, making it inefficient or impossible to consider all options.

Question 17

A problem-solving heuristic is

Accepted Answer

A problem-solving heuristic is a general strategy that guides a search through the problem space. It does not guarantee finding a solution but can make the process more efficient. Different heuristics may be more or less effective for different problems, and they can be useful for both familiar and unfamiliar problems.

Question 18

If you are trying to help a friend use analogies in problem solving,which piece of advice should you NOT give?

Accepted Answer

Focusing solely on how the problem is phrased may not provide enough information to effectively use analogies in problem solving. It is important to consider the deep structure of the problem and search for related content in memory. Only focusing on surface details may lead to a limited understanding of the problem and a less effective use of analogies.

Question 19

Compared to novices,chess experts are more likely to have

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that chess experts have better memory for the positions of pieces on a chessboard if the pieces are arranged in a way that respects the rules of chess. This is because experts are able to quickly recognize patterns and arrangements that are common in chess games, allowing them to remember positions more easily. However, this advantage is not seen when the pieces are arranged randomly, indicating that it is the knowledge of the game that helps experts remember positions, rather than a general visual memory advantage.

Question 20

Which problem-solving heuristic is most likely to involve a question such as "What do I have available to get from my current state to my goal state?"

Accepted Answer

Means-end analysis involves assessing the current state and the desired goal state, and then identifying the differences or obstacles that must be overcome to reach the goal state. This requires identifying the means available to achieve the goal, and determining how these means can be used to reduce the differences or obstacles.

Quiz 13: Problem Solving and Intelligence