Effect of experience and mode of presentation on problem solving

Abstract

The ability to solve problems is an important aspect of everyday activities. Studying individuals with different levels of experience solve a well-defined problem will aid our understanding of everyday problem solving. The study reported considers the way in which the level of experience and different modes of presentation of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle affect problem solving performance, in terms of time taken and number of moves made. Participants are classified as either novice or experienced, and assigned to one of three task environments, namely computer, mental or physical. Differences in time taken were found to relate to the level of experience, and the mode of presentation. This is thought to be due to the alleviation of the load on working memory. However, no differences were found to exist in the number of moves made to complete the puzzle. The findings are discussed in terms of the implementation of modes of presentation to assist the development of problem solving abilities.