Explain three different approaches to problem solving

Thorndike and behaviorist problem solving: The law of effect
Thorndike was among the pioneer researchers in problem solving. He was interested in the basic process involved in learning. He designed an experiment in which the cats were the participants and put them into a puzzle box . The cats normally do not enjoy being confined . The initial state was being in enclosed space, the goal state was to be out of the enclosure. The constraint was the enclosure itself.Thorndike was interest in the whether the ability to solve the confinement problem would appear suddenly as an insight or gradually through process of trial and error . He found out that the cats learnt through trial and error
He describe this process the law effect. According to the law effect, if a response leads to satisfying outcome , the connection between the response and the situation in which it took place will be strengthened. If the response leads to unsatisfying outcome the connection will be weak.
Kohler and gestalt psychologists: problem solving as insight
Gestalt psychologist have radically different view of the problem solving. According to cognitive psychologist the mind has an inherent tendency to recognize incoming information and this organizational process are the defining features of cognition.Rather than mindless playing out of a situation that gradually build up over time , problem solving involves restructuring or reorganization of problem elements that results in sudden realization of the solution

Newell, Simon and the cognitive psychologist: General Problem solver (GPS)
Newell , Shaw and Simon (1958) felt that computer programs might serve as useful tools for modeling human problem solving. Newell & Simon (1972) originated the conceptualization of problem solving as a step by step progression from the initial state to goal state.They did so within the frame work computer programme termed the general problem solver (GPS) which they proposed a human solving model That can be applied to any problem.

GPS approach to problem solving attempts to minimize the distance between the initial stages and goal state by breaking by breaking down the problem into sub goals. The sub goal analysis is accomplished through the operators. Operators are words for problem solving technique. To resolve a problem with in a car you may need technique to open up an engine, the technique that allows you open is an operator because it helps you to partly work on the problem. You will need another operator (technique to repair). The techniques are applied at a micro level to reduce the distance between the initial and the goal state.

Another important aspect of the GPS is the notion of problem space. The problem space refers to the basic which refers to the problem solver’s mental representation of the initial state, the goal state and all possible intermediate states and the operators that can be applied to reach the sub-goals. Hence the problem solving process is essentially navigating through problem space

The main features that define GPS as an information processing model suggests that external information is transformed into internal mental representation, then a sequential version various mental operations are applied.

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Chatelaine answered the question on June 17, 2021 at 12:59