Brain and Cognition Lecture 11?
4.12.18
Problem solving and Creativity
Problems are general, everyone understand the goal of the problem but not everyone can
understand how to reach it.
Behaviourism:
Can be explained by stimulus-response links. Problem solving is seen as trial and error and
reproduction of learned responses.
Relatively little is known about human problem solving. THORNDIKE showed that animals
learn the correct behaviour from trial and error.
Gestalt Psychology:
Theories were first developed to account for perception, then applied to problem solving.
Strong at identifying interesting phenomena but theoretical explanations are weak- mostly
re-descriptions of data.
Key ideas: (criticisms against behaviourism)
- A problem is a whole that is more than the sum of its individual elements
- Perception and problem solving are more than just creating associations
- They involve restructuring
- Problem solving is reproductive and productive.
Productive problem solving involves restructuring- changes of representation and
sudden insight into the structure of the problem. Insight often comes with a realisation
experience. Previous knowledge can hinder problem solving.
KOHLER’s experiment:
Monkey trying to get banana, piles up boxes to
get them.
Restructuring and Insight:
MAIER’s Two-String Problem:
Goal to tie two strings together but they are too
far apart. Illustrates functional fixedness-
tendency to consider only the usual function of
objects. Solution: tie one string to paintbrush on
floor then swing and tie to next role
Functional Fixedness:
BIRCH + RABINOWTZ
Two group to complete an electrical circuit by using a switch or a relay. After they had to
solve the Two string problem with things lying on the floor including switches and relays.
Those who used the switch used the relay and the people who used the relay used the
switch to solve the two string problem.
, This reinforced their idea to have it used in electric circuit then in two string they ignored it
because they believe it is only useful for the circuit.
DUNKER nine-dot problem:
People are fixated on the shape of the dots and assume the lines have to be inside
the square. It is a strong perceptual gestalt idea that staying inside the lines is part
of the problem to solve.
Mutilated Checker-board Problem:
KAPLAN + SIMON
• Two diagonally opposite squares are removed from a checker board
• Participants receive 31 dominos, each covering two squares
Is it possible to cover the remaining 62 squares with the dominos?
• After trying for a while to cover all squares, people realise that they have come to an
impasse
• A new representation is required
• One new representation is to count the
number of black and white squares
• Covered by the dominos,
• On the board
• Changing the size of the board is
another useful change of
representation
Representational change theory:
OHLSSON
Uses gestalt ideas, provides an elaborate mechanism explaining the processes involved in
insight problems.
Two main processes:
- Internal representation of the problem
- Constraints relaxation
Example of constraints relaxation:
- Nine dot problem
- Matchstick algebra problems
4.12.18
Problem solving and Creativity
Problems are general, everyone understand the goal of the problem but not everyone can
understand how to reach it.
Behaviourism:
Can be explained by stimulus-response links. Problem solving is seen as trial and error and
reproduction of learned responses.
Relatively little is known about human problem solving. THORNDIKE showed that animals
learn the correct behaviour from trial and error.
Gestalt Psychology:
Theories were first developed to account for perception, then applied to problem solving.
Strong at identifying interesting phenomena but theoretical explanations are weak- mostly
re-descriptions of data.
Key ideas: (criticisms against behaviourism)
- A problem is a whole that is more than the sum of its individual elements
- Perception and problem solving are more than just creating associations
- They involve restructuring
- Problem solving is reproductive and productive.
Productive problem solving involves restructuring- changes of representation and
sudden insight into the structure of the problem. Insight often comes with a realisation
experience. Previous knowledge can hinder problem solving.
KOHLER’s experiment:
Monkey trying to get banana, piles up boxes to
get them.
Restructuring and Insight:
MAIER’s Two-String Problem:
Goal to tie two strings together but they are too
far apart. Illustrates functional fixedness-
tendency to consider only the usual function of
objects. Solution: tie one string to paintbrush on
floor then swing and tie to next role
Functional Fixedness:
BIRCH + RABINOWTZ
Two group to complete an electrical circuit by using a switch or a relay. After they had to
solve the Two string problem with things lying on the floor including switches and relays.
Those who used the switch used the relay and the people who used the relay used the
switch to solve the two string problem.
, This reinforced their idea to have it used in electric circuit then in two string they ignored it
because they believe it is only useful for the circuit.
DUNKER nine-dot problem:
People are fixated on the shape of the dots and assume the lines have to be inside
the square. It is a strong perceptual gestalt idea that staying inside the lines is part
of the problem to solve.
Mutilated Checker-board Problem:
KAPLAN + SIMON
• Two diagonally opposite squares are removed from a checker board
• Participants receive 31 dominos, each covering two squares
Is it possible to cover the remaining 62 squares with the dominos?
• After trying for a while to cover all squares, people realise that they have come to an
impasse
• A new representation is required
• One new representation is to count the
number of black and white squares
• Covered by the dominos,
• On the board
• Changing the size of the board is
another useful change of
representation
Representational change theory:
OHLSSON
Uses gestalt ideas, provides an elaborate mechanism explaining the processes involved in
insight problems.
Two main processes:
- Internal representation of the problem
- Constraints relaxation
Example of constraints relaxation:
- Nine dot problem
- Matchstick algebra problems
