Question 1

Peter is trying to find something his cat will eat. He presents a variety of different foods to the cat until eventually she begins to eat something. Peter's approach to the problem of feeding a finicky cat can probably best be understood from which of the following perspectives of problem solving?
A) Stages of problem solving
B) Trial-and-error
C) The Gestalt notion of insight
D) Response hierarchy

Accepted Answer

Peter's approach to presenting a variety of different foods until the cat begins to eat something is an example of trial-and-error problem solving.

Question 2

Ms. Sharp wants her students to use what they learn in their psychology class to interact with other people more effectively. Given what we know about factors that promote transfer, which one of the following teaching strategies is most likely to accomplish this objective?
A) Present a prototype of how effective interaction occurs.
B) Have students describe behaviors that might promote effective interaction.
C) Have students apply effective interaction skills in role-playing situations.
D) Ask questions that encourage students to review the basic principles they have learned about human interaction.

Accepted Answer

The most effective teaching strategy for promoting transfer is to have students apply what they have learned in authentic situations. Role-playing situations provide an opportunity for students to practice the skills and principles they have learned in a realistic context. This will help them to develop the kind of flexibility and automaticity that is necessary for applying these skills in real-world situations. Options A and B may provide useful information but do not involve actual application of the skills, while option D only encourages review of basic principles and does not involve any practical application.

Question 3

Will is trying to repair a leaky faucet. He first uses the method he used on the last three leaky faucets he repaired, but this approach doesn't work. Then he tries a technique he used several years ago, but this doesn't work either. Finally he remembers a method his mother taught him long ago, and this one stops the leak. Will's approach to the problem can probably best be understood from which of the following perspectives of problem solving?
A) Stages of problem solving
B) Trial-and-error
C) The Gestalt notion of insight
D) Response hierarchy

Accepted Answer

The answer of Will is trying to repair a leaky...

Question 4

Mr. Rangel asks his students to write an essay describing how they would deal with the problem of the diminishing areas in which gorillas can successfully live in the wild. Three of the following factors should influence his students' ability to describe possible solutions to the problem. Which factor will not influence students' ability to do well-either for the better or for the worse-on the essay?
A) Students' anxiety about how well they do on the essay
B) How much students know about the countries in which gorillas reside
C) How carefully students internally monitor their ways of thinking about the problem
D) The number of specific algorithms students have learned for solving problems in other disciplines (e.g., physics, mathematics)

Accepted Answer

The number of specific algorithms students have learned for solving problems in other disciplines (e.g., physics, mathematics) is not directly related to the ability to describe possible solutions to the problem of diminishing gorilla habitats. Factors that would directly influence this ability are students' anxiety level, their knowledge about the countries in which gorillas reside, and how carefully they monitor their ways of thinking about the problem.

Question 5

Peg is trying to change a light bulb in a ceiling light, but she cannot reach the light even when she stands on a chair. She looks around the room, puzzled, and then suddenly realizes that she can reach the light by piling two telephone books on the chair and standing on them. Peg's approach to the problem can probably best be understood from which one of the following perspectives of problem solving?
A) Stages of problem solving
B) Trial-and-error
C) The Gestalt notion of insight
D) Response hierarchy

Accepted Answer

Peg's realization of using the telephone books to reach the light bulb is a classic example of insight problem solving as per the Gestalt notion. She suddenly saw the problem in a new way and was able to arrive at a solution.

Question 6

Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates the role of retrieval in problem solving?
A) Arnie is trying to solve a physics problem on a classroom test. He is so anxious that he can't recall the problem-solving strategies he needs.
B) Bradley is looking for something to haul water but doesn't have a bucket. He fails to realize that his plastic wastebasket could easily carry water.
C) Charlie is doing a series of addition problems. He overlooks the subtraction sign on the last problem and so adds when he should subtract.
D) Doug is angry that another boy stole his bicycle. Rather than report the theft to the police, he steals a bicycle from someone else.

Accepted Answer

Arnie's inability to recall problem-solving strategies due to anxiety illustrates the role of retrieval in problem solving, as it shows how accessing stored information is crucial for applying known strategies to new problems.

Question 7

Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates how mental set can interfere with problem solving?
A) A few days after an argument with her boyfriend, Abigail wants to make amends, but the boyfriend tells her that he is now dating someone else.
B) Bernadette needs to calculate the volume of a pyramid. She knows she learned the correct formula in class, but she can't seem to remember it now.
C) Corinne is working on a jigsaw puzzle. One of the pieces to the puzzle is missing.
D) Danielle's car won't start. It doesn't occur to her that she can take the bus to work because she has always driven her car to work before.

Accepted Answer

This situation illustrates functional fixedness, a type of mental set where a person thinks about an object only in terms of its typical function. In this case, Danielle is unable to solve her problem (getting to work) because she is fixed on the idea of using her car to get there, rather than considering alternative solutions such as taking the bus.

Question 8

Three of the following examples reflect the use of metacognition in problem solving. Which one shows little or no metacognition?
A) When Allan discovers that his homework assignment in social studies involves an especially ill-defined and difficult problem, he realizes that he will have to devote a considerable amount of time to the assignment.
B) Brendan is replacing an old, single-paned window in his home with a new, double-paned window unit. Before he begins to work, he thinks about the steps he will need to take and jots down the tools and materials he will need to purchase.
C) Clyde is working on a series of word problems after a unit on multiplication of two-digit numbers. To complete the task as quickly as possible, he simply multiplies the two numbers he sees in each problem; he doesn't bother to read the problems themselves.
D) When Duncan's chemistry teacher assigns a challenging problem that she wants her students to address in chemistry lab, Duncan feels confident that he has both the knowledge and skills to solve the problem successfully if he works slowly and carefully.

Accepted Answer

Option C shows little to no use of metacognition because Clyde does not attempt to understand the nature of the problem or consider alternative approaches. Instead, he applies a prior knowledge he possesses in a formulaic manner. In contrast, Options A, B, and D demonstrate awareness of one's thought process or problem-solving strategies, which is metacognition.

Question 9

Which one of the following problems is the best example of an ill-defined problem?
A) Staying dry in a rainstorm
B) Clearing a driveway after a snowstorm
C) Determining the average of a set of test scores
D) Helping a friend whose feelings have been hurt

Accepted Answer

Helping a friend whose feelings have been hurt is an ill-defined problem because there are many possible solutions and the problem itself is not clearly defined. The best approach to solving this problem may depend on the specific situation and the personalities involved.

Question 10

Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates the effect of functional fixedness on problem solving?
A) Arnie is trying to solve a physics problem on a classroom test. He is so anxious that he can't recall the problem-solving strategies he needs.
B) Bradley is looking for something to haul water but doesn't have a bucket. He fails to realize that his plastic wastebasket could easily carry water.
C) Charlie is doing a series of addition problems. He overlooks the subtraction sign on the last problem and so adds when he should subtract.
D) Doug is angry that another boy stole his bicycle. Rather than report the theft to the police, he steals a bicycle from someone else.

Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness refers to the tendency to see objects as working only in a particular way, and not being able to think creatively about other possible uses. Bradley in this example is unable to see the wastebasket as anything other than a receptacle for trash and fails to realize its potential as a container for water.

Question 11

Peny is trying to solve the following riddle: "What creature walks first on four legs, then two, then three?" He repeatedly tries to think of an animal that might walk on three legs, but he can only think of animals that walk on either two or four legs. Finally, he is told the correct answer: a human being, who crawls, then walks, then walks with a cane. Which one of the following is the most likely explanation of Perry's difficulty?
A) He has encoded the problem with too narrow a definition of "legs."
B) He doesn't have enough working memory capacity.
C) He doesn't have a sufficient knowledge base.
D) He is suffering from functional fixedness.

Accepted Answer

Perry's difficulty is likely due to the fact that he has limited his definition of "legs" to only mean "limbs used for walking." By expanding his understanding of what "legs" can mean, he would be able to solve the riddle. This suggests that his difficulty is related to encoding, which is the process of transforming information into a form that can be stored in memory.

Question 12

Research indicates that people are more likely to be successful problem solvers in a given subject area when they:
A) Pay considerable attention to details
B) Know the subject matter very well
C) Have had extensive training in logical thinking
D) Have already acquired problem-solving expertise in a very different subject area

Accepted Answer

Research shows that having a strong understanding of the subject matter is a key factor in being a successful problem solver in that area. However, paying attention to details and having training in logical thinking can also enhance problem-solving abilities. Expertise in a different subject area may transfer to some extent, but it is not as strong of a predictor as having a strong foundation in the specific subject matter.

Question 13

Martha is trying to decide what to give to her best friend Rose as a birthday present. She begins by looking closely at how Rose spends her time. She also browses in a number of different department stores to identify numerous things within her price range. Then she lets the problem "incubate" in her head for a few days while she engages in other activities. Eventually she chooses what she thinks will be the best gift for Rose. Martha's approach to the problem can probably best be understood from which of the following perspectives of problem solving?
A) Stages of problem solving
B) Trial-and-error
C) The Gestalt notion of insight
D) Response hierarchy

Accepted Answer

Martha's approach involves several stages of problem solving: problem identification, information gathering, incubation, and solution.

Question 14

Missy is given this problem: Mt. Washington is lower than Mt. Jefferson.
Mt) Washington is higher than Mt. Adams.
Which mountain is highest?
Missy reads the fourth word incorrectly-she thinks the word is higher rather than lower-and consequently answers the problem incorrectly. From an information processing perspective, Missy's difficulty is due to:
A) Her limited working memory capacity
B) Functional fixedness
C) The way she encodes information
D) The fact that she is retrieving information that hasn't been stored meaningfully

Accepted Answer

Missy's difficulty stems from the way she encodes information, specifically her misreading of the word "lower" as "higher," which affects her understanding and processing of the problem.

Question 15

When Daneesha encounters the problem "If apples are 35¢ each, how much will 7 apples cost?" she thinks, "Many items at the same price . . . hmm, this kind of situation usually calls for multiplication." Daneesha's reasoning reflects the use of:
A) incubation
B) inert knowledge
C) a problem schema
D) means-ends analysis

Accepted Answer

Daneesha's recognition of the problem as one that involves multiple items at the same price suggests that she has a problem schema for this type of situation, allowing her to quickly identify the appropriate solution strategy.

Question 16

The primary advantage of using an algorithm (rather than a heuristic) is that it:
A) Always yields a correct solution if executed correctly
B) Is widely applicable to many different content domains
C) Can be easily used by the typical 6-year-old child
D) Never takes more than five minutes to complete

Accepted Answer

The main advantage of using an algorithm is its reliability in consistently producing a correct solution when executed correctly. Heuristics, on the other hand, provide faster solutions but may not always be accurate. The other options are not relevant advantages of using algorithms.

Question 17

Sheila is a physicist who has been successfully solving physics problems for years. Tamara is a beginning physics student. Which one of the following differences between Sheila and Tamara are we most likely to see in terms of how they approach physics problems?
A) Sheila is more likely than Tamara to make sure the problems are well-defined before she begins to solve them.
B) Sheila is more likely than Tamara to classify problems based on their superficial characteristics.
C) Sheila is apt to retrieve less information from long-term memory than Tamara retrieves.
D) Sheila is more likely than Tamara to have functional fixedness when she works on problems.

Accepted Answer

Sheila's experience as a physicist likely means that she has learned to take the time to ensure that the problem is well-defined before attempting to solve it. This is a common strategy used by experienced problem solvers in physics and other fields, as it can save time and prevent mistakes in the long run. Tamara, as a beginning physics student, may not have developed this habit yet.

Question 18

Considering factors that affect transfer, identify the group of students most likely to transfer what they are learning.
A) Students in Mr. Allen's geography class are studying several countries this week, memorizing the locations of their rivers and major cities.
B) Students in Ms. Elbert's music class are practicing major chords in different keys this semester, practicing each one in a variety of songs.
C) Students in Mr. Ivy's science class are studying the characteristics of mammals and reptiles this week.
D) Students in Ms. Martin's social studies class are studying major events in the history of Mexico this month, beginning with the Aztec empire and continuing until the present time.

Accepted Answer

Students in Ms. Elbert's music class are practicing a specific skill (major chords in different keys) in a variety of contexts (different songs). This allows for transfer to occur as students can apply their knowledge and skill to new songs and keys. Additionally, practicing the skill in different contexts helps to reinforce long-term retention and transfer.

Question 19

David is trying to calculate the total cost of the groceries in his grocery cart. He has four apples for 35¢ each, five potatoes for 15¢ each, and three cake mixes for $2.25 each. He begins by thinking to himself, "Let's see, four times 35¢ is what? Two times 35¢ is 70¢, and then two times 70¢ is $1.40. And then what do I do next? Oh, yes, I need to know out what 5 times 15 equals. I can't remember, but let's see if I can figure it out...." From an information processing perspective, David may have difficulty solving the problem because:
A) He is using an inappropriate heuristic.
B) His working memory capacity may be insufficient to hold and process all the information.
C) He is encoding the problem incorrectly.
D) He is demonstrating functional fixedness with regard to his knowledge of multiplication facts.

Accepted Answer

David is struggling with the task because he needs to keep track of multiple pieces of information simultaneously, which may exceed the capacity of his working memory. This can lead to difficulty in solving the problem, as he may struggle to hold and manipulate all the necessary information at once. There is no evidence to suggest that David is using an inappropriate heuristic, encoding the problem incorrectly, or demonstrating functional fixedness.

Question 20

From the perspective of information processing theory, incubation facilitates problem solving primarily by:
A) enhancing attentional focus on the problem to be solved
B) slightly expanding the capacity of working memory
C) enabling a more expansive search of long-term memory
D) increasing one's ability to engage in means-ends analysis

Accepted Answer

Incubation allows for a more expansive search of long-term memory, as the problem solver is able to temporarily set aside the problem and engage in other activities. This process can lead to the retrieval of relevant information and connections from memory that may not have been accessible during initial problem solving attempts.

Quiz 15: Transfer, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking

Peter is trying to find something his cat will eat. He presents a variety of different foods to the cat until eventually she begins to eat something. Peter's approach to the problem of feeding a finicky cat can probably best be understood from which of the following perspectives of problem solving?

Ms. Sharp wants her students to use what they learn in their psychology class to interact with other people more effectively. Given what we know about factors that promote transfer, which one of the following teaching strategies is most likely to accomplish this objective?

Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates the role of retrieval in problem solving?

Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates how mental set can interfere with problem solving?

Three of the following examples reflect the use of metacognition in problem solving. Which one shows little or no metacognition?

Which one of the following problems is the best example of an ill-defined problem?

Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates the effect of functional fixedness on problem solving?

Research indicates that people are more likely to be successful problem solvers in a given subject area when they:

When Daneesha encounters the problem "If apples are 35¢ each, how much will 7 apples cost?" she thinks, "Many items at the same price . . . hmm, this kind of situation usually calls for multiplication." Daneesha's reasoning reflects the use of:

The primary advantage of using an algorithm (rather than a heuristic) is that it:

Sheila is a physicist who has been successfully solving physics problems for years. Tamara is a beginning physics student. Which one of the following differences between Sheila and Tamara are we most likely to see in terms of how they approach physics problems?

Considering factors that affect transfer, identify the group of students most likely to transfer what they are learning.

From the perspective of information processing theory, incubation facilitates problem solving primarily by: