Flexible Problem Solving Research Articles

Can captive orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) be coaxed into cumulative build-up of techniques?

While striking cultural variation in behavior from one site to another has been described in chimpanzees and orangutans, cumulative culture might be unique to humans. Captive chimpanzees were recently found to be rather conservative, sticking to the technique they had mastered, even after more effective alternatives were demonstrated. Behavioral flexibility in problem solving, in the sense of acquiring new solutions after having learned another one earlier, is a vital prerequisite for cumulative build-up of techniques. Here, we experimentally investigate whether captive orangutans show such flexibility, and if so, whether they show techniques that cumulatively build up (ratchet) on previous ones after conditions of the task are changed. We provided nine Sumatran orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) with two types of transparent tubes partly filled with syrup, along with potential tools such as sticks, twigs, wood wool and paper. In the first phase, the orangutans could reach inside the tubes with their hands (Regular Condition), but in the following phase, tubes had been made too narrow for their hands to fit in (Restricted Condition 1), or in addition the setup lacked their favorite materials (Restricted Condition 2). The orangutans showed high behavioral flexibility, applying nine different techniques under the regular condition in total. Individuals abandoned preferred techniques and switched to different techniques under restricted conditions when this was advantageous. We show for two of these techniques how they cumulatively built up on earlier ones. This suggests that the near-absence of cumulative culture in wild orangutans is not due to a lack of flexibility when existing solutions to tasks are made impossible.

Instructing in generalized knowledge structures to develop flexible problem solving skills

In contrast to routine knowledge and skills, flexible problem solving is associated with the ability to apply one’s knowledge structures in relatively new situations. In the absence of specific knowledge-based guidance, such processes could be very cognitively demanding. This paper suggests that learning flexible problem solving skills could be enhanced by explicitly instructing learners in generalized forms of schematic knowledge structures that are applicable to a greater variety of problems. The paper presents results of an experimental study that has investigated this approach in learning the operation of a technical device, and discusses implications of these results for the design of computer-based instruction.

Effects of naturalistic stressors on cognitive flexibility and working memory task performance

Experimental stressors impair performance on tasks requiring certain types of cognitive flexibility, an effect that may be mediated by the noradrenergic system. The goal of this experiment was to examine the effects of psychological stress on cognitive flexibility in problem solving and immediate memory with a more naturalistic psychological stressor, and examine the interaction between subject ability and the cognitive effects of psychological stress. Twenty subjects performed the compound remote associates task (CRA) and a number series recall task after watching the first 30 minutes of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and after the first 30 minutes of ‘Shrek’, with condition order and test version order counterbalanced. An interaction effect was observed between stress and subject ability for the CRA, with performance on the CRA significantly worse after the stress film among those performing well on the task. No effects were found on the memory task. Therefore, the naturalistic stressor impairs cognitive flexibility in a manner dependent upon how much difficulty the subject has with these types of tasks. Further work will be necessary to better understand the pharmacological mechanism of the effects of these types of stressors, and the clinical implications of this effect.

New Perspectives on Human Problem Solving

In November 2008 at Purdue University, the 2 Workshop on Human Problem Solving was held. This workshop, which was a natural continuation of the first workshop devoted almost exclusively to optimization problems, addressed a wider range of topics that reflect the scope of the Journal of Problem Solving. The workshop was attended by 35 researchers from around the world. The program of the workshop is available at: http:// spiderman.psych.purdue.edu/problem_solving/workshop08/. There were two full days of talks and posters, covering insight, education, decision making and causality, combinatorial optimization and applications. The level of excitement was high, and the lively and informative discussions confirmed that, despite the fragmentation of the field, there is something special and unique about problem solving that is likely to help define the field, almost exactly 100 years after the Gestalt Psychologists established it for the first time. Defining the field is obviously important, but doing solid research and disseminating the results is absolutely critical. This special issue provides a nice sample of the current work on human problem solving illustrating a variety of experimental tools and conceptual frameworks. Why has problem solving remained one of the most important topics in human cognition? Problem solving is the activity in which people show their uniquely human gift for flexible cognition and adaptation. We are not always shackled victims of habit. We can think flexibly about situations that we have never come across before, and arrive at apt and fresh responses to them. We can change how we represent problems. We can come up with novel strategies for solving problems. In other words, we can program ourselves to solve problems. These capabilities still distinguish human problem solving from machine intelligence efforts. Long after humans have been replaced by machines in tasks where automatic algorithms can be deployed to effectively accommodate known situations, genuine problem solving requiring the creation of thinking tools, representations, strategies, and meta-cognitive awareness will still be a privileged domain of humans. Over time, we are getting a better understanding of what tasks require truly flexible problem solving

Mix It Up: Teachers' Beliefs on Mixing Mathematics and Science

This paper defines correlation, describes the Mix It Up program, discusses the teachers' beliefs about the value of correlating mathematics and science prior to program participation, and identifies problems teachers associated with correlation before and during the program. Teachers' beliefs about the value of correlation and about the problems associated with correlation are based on results from both quantitative and qualitative methods used to evaluate the program. Results indicate that teachers believe correlating mathematics and science strengthens students' content knowledge in mathematics and science, bridges the gap between mathematics and science, enhances motivation, and increases students' flexibility in problem solving. Additionally, the areas identified by teachers to be most problematic were time, planning for instruction as a team, and exposure to correlation in the past. The most important finding from the program evaluation indicates that although teachers did not identify content knowledge weaknesses before participating in the program, they did recognize gaps in their own content knowledge during program participation, and more importantly they made connections among these gaps, classroom instruction, and their own students' performance in mathematics and science.

Flexible and adaptive socio-emotional problem solving in adult development and aging

Despite decline in basic cognitive mechanisms, aging adults may also possess abilities that allow them to function quite effectively, particularly when cognition is examined in a socio-emotional context. In this article, I highlight the importance of the functional dynamics or the ability to effectively adapt to the demands and opportunities that individuals are confronted with on an everyday basis. This overview takes into consideration how life experiences, social interactions, beliefs, and emotions influence motivational goals for processing information in daily life. I present an integrative representation of my empirical work and theorizing on the impact of socio-emotional contextual factors in older adulthood by identifying developmental mechanisms and contexts that determine when older adults' everyday problem solving and emotion regulation is optimal or adaptive and when it is not. Older adults display flexibility in problem solving and emotion regulation strategy use as well as a decrease in the amount of resources necessary to maintain or regain emotional well-being, while performing well at other tasks. We suggest that growing older has the adaptive potential to effectively solve problems, regulate emotions, and reduce the cognitive costs of emotion regulation, further corroborating findings of a positive and flexible developmental trajectory for emotional control with increasing age.

Semantic-supported and agent-based decentralized grid resource discovery

One of the open issues in grid computing is efficient resource discovery. In this paper, we propose a novel semantic-supported and agent-based decentralized grid resource discovery mechanism. Without overhead of negotiation, the algorithm allows individual resource agents to semantically interact with neighbour agents based on local knowledge and to dynamically form a resource service chain to complete a task. The algorithm ensures the resource agent’s ability to cooperate and coordinate on neighbour knowledge requisition for flexible problem solving. The developed algorithm is evaluated by investigating the relationship between the success probability of resource discovery and semantic similarity under different factors. The experiments show the algorithm could flexibly and dynamically discover resources and therefore provide a valuable addition to the field.

Are Animals Autistic Savants

Are Animals Autistic Savants

David's Understanding of Functions and Periodicity

This is a study of David, a senior enrolled in a high school precalculus course. David's understandings of functions and periodicity was explored, through clinical interviews and contextualized through classroom observations. Although David's precalculus class was traditional, his understanding of periodic functions was unconventional. David engaged in sense making behaviors even though these behaviors were not encouraged or explicitly taught. A careful analysis of his work revealed that David's understandings of functions, function notation, and periodicity were compartmentalized. However, David was able to skirt compartmentalization through flexibility in problem solving, translation between representations, and transfer of mathematical information from one representation to another.

Flexibilidade mental na resolução de problemas em indivíduos que cumprem pena por homicídio qualificado

This study aimed at assessing problem-solving mental flexibility in individuals who were convicted for qualified murder, and confined in a medium-security prison within the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The quantitative cross-research study had a convenience sample (n=60) including 30 homicides, paired by gender, age, schooling and social class to 30 individuals who had no criminal records. Assessment instruments used were Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Stroop Color and Word Test, WAIS-III Block Design, Digit-Symbol Coding and Vocabulary subtests, a Mini-International Psychiatric Interview and a socio-demographic datasheet. In the WCST categories and in the Stroop Test, the group of homicides showed lower scores than the control group with a statistically significant difference (p<0,05). It is concluded that individuals convicted for qualified murder show lower problem-solving flexibility, than the individuals having no criminal records.

Flexibility in problem solving: The case of equation solving

A key learning outcome in problem-solving domains is the development of flexible knowledge, where learners know multiple strategies and adaptively choose efficient strategies. Two interventions hypothesized to improve flexibility in problem solving were experimentally evaluated: prompts to discover multiple strategies and direct instruction on multiple strategies. Participants were 132 sixth-grade students who solved linear equations for three hours. Both interventions improved students' flexibility in problem solving and did not replace, nor interfere with, one another. Overall, the study provides causal evidence that exposure to multiple strategies leads to improved flexibility in problem solving and that discovery learning and direct instruction are compatible instructional approaches.

Not an obligation, not a mission, a privilege

Not an obligation, not a mission, a privilege

Explaining safe work practices in aviation line maintenance

The article presents research results from a qualitative study of aviation line maintenance operations, with the objective of describing operational work practices. In the article, safety is interpreted as a collective competence that is learned and maintained in local work environments. The study identifies features, such as practical skills, support from colleagues, creation of performance spaces, and flexibility in problem solving, that are important for safe work practices in line maintenance operations. The study does also show that these work practices are rooted in a set of formally established safety systems, and they are influenced by organisational structure conditions and different change efforts. The empirical results support the arguement that slack in the organisation can be viewed as a precondition for the existence and effectiveness of several forms of safe work practices.

Increased task difficulty results in greater impact of noradrenergic modulation of cognitive flexibility

Previous research suggests that the noradrenergic system modulates certain types of cognitive flexibility. This study compared various doses of beta-adrenergic antagonists for their effect on cognitive flexibility in problem solving, and how task difficulty interacts with this effect, as well as the effect of beta-adrenergic antagonists on other tasks. Anagram task performance was compared in 72 subjects using a within-subject design for propranolol at 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, and placebo in a double-blinded manner, and the effects of subject ability and task difficulty were examined. We also examined the effect of the 40 mg propranolol dose on a range of other tasks. Overall, more anagram problems were solved while on propranolol 40 mg than on placebo. Subjects least able to solve the problems benefited significantly from 40 mg of propranolol. Also, for all subjects the most difficult problems were solved more quickly with propranolol 40 mg than placebo. Benefits were also seen for word fluency and backward digit span. Therefore, noradrenergic modulation of cognitive flexibility is affected by how much difficulty the subject is encountering when searching for the solution, a pattern consistent with what might be expected in an effect on the search of the semantic and associative network.

Executive Function in Charge Syndrome

This study addressed the presence of executive dysfunction in children with CHARGE syndrome, a genetic disorder with multiple physical anomalies and severe challenging behaviors. Ninety-eight children were included in the study. More than half received clinically significant scores on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia et al., 2000) scales of Shift, Monitor, and the Behavioral Regulation Index, with additional high scores on Inhibit and the Global Executive Composite. Associations were found with the age the child first walked, scores on the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC; Krug et al., 1993), and being classified as deafblind. Difficulties with making transitions and flexible problem solving, monitoring their work and their effect on others, and acting on impulse, may be related to the behavioral difficulties exhibited by children with CHARGE. Interventions targeting improved self-regulation may help to manage this challenging behavior.

Factors associated with the mental health of adolescents when a parent has cancer

This study explored factors associated with the mental health in adolescents (ages 11-17; n = 54) within 12 months after a parent had been diagnosed with cancer. A control group was included (ages 11-17; n = 49). A demographic questionnaire, the SF-8 Health Survey, the Youth Self Report and the McMaster Family Assessment Device were used. Similar levels of psychological distress and healthy family functioning were reported in the clinical and the control group. No effect of gender of the ill parent and that of the adolescent was found. A negative correlation was found between the physical health of the ill parent and the mental health of the adolescent. Healthy family functioning correlated with less psychological distress in adolescents with a parent with cancer. Open communication, flexible problem solving and appropriate affective involvement were significant predictors for less psychological distress in the adolescents. The study concludes that a healthy family functioning facilitated the adolescent's adjustment to parental cancer.

Crime Prevention in Australia: Beyond ‘What Works?’

Recent decades have seen governments around Australia launch crime prevention policies to much fanfare. Often, however, achievements have fallen well short of expectations. A key problem is that too many attempts to develop and implement crime prevention have not thought through and articulated what relevant strategies might signify and hope to achieve. In the absence of a basic understanding of, and agreement about, the overall enterprise in which central and local players are engaged, program sustainability and drift problems prevail. Attempts to overcome these difficulties simply by maintaining that polices must be based on ‘what works?’ principles are not helpful. This article works through the implications of the above observations for the way crime prevention strategies should be designed and administered. It argues that commitment to flexible problem identification and solving in the context of a clearly articulated crime prevention planning process is critical to success. However, for crime prevention to emerge and be sustained, governments must see it as consisting of a dialogue between central and local levels. This will only be achieved if strategies developed by the centre are informed by, and reaffirm, a clear political vision and sense of mission.

The application of complex adaptive systems theory to clinical practice in rehabilitation

It is increasingly emphasised that effective healthcare for the growing number of chronic disease and lifestyle issues must be grounded in a non-reductionist paradigm focused on understanding relationships and applying flexible problem-solving. To address these needs, key principles of complex adaptive systems theory (CAS) are being applied to healthcare planning and research. The aim of this clinical commentary is to provide a brief overview of complex adaptive systems theory and illustrate its relevance to rehabilitation professionals. Further, the review will explore occupational therapist and physiotherapist profession-specific publications for evidence of CAS theory applications that can be used to illustrate the clinical usefulness of complexity science concepts. The commentary will also identify other resources that can assist healthcare providers in developing an understanding of the framework's assumptions and principles for affecting change. Lastly, the implications of failing to acquire a competent understanding of CAS principles and command of the terminology will be addressed and therapists challenged to assume an equal role in mapping healthcare delivery in the 21st century.

Examination of a structured problem-solving flexibility task for assessing approaches to learning in young children: Relation to teacher ratings and children's achievement

This exploratory study used structured tasks as direct measures of approaches to learning to examine a potentially important domain of school readiness that is comprised of the multiple ways children engage in learning situations. A structured task designed to measure problem-solving flexibility was found to relate to a subset of a teacher rating system that included several aspects of approaches to learning; it predicted achievement both concurrently and 1 year later in a sample of 158 kindergarteners. The direct measure significantly added to the prediction of future achievement even after controlling for prior achievement, receptive vocabulary, and the more global teacher ratings. This study highlights the importance of approaches to learning and offers evidence for the potential of structured tasks to be developed to allow a multidimensional approach to the assessment of this important school readiness domain. Future efforts to guide and enhance children's successful transition into school are also discussed.

AN EVALUATION OF ORGANISATIONAL GROUNDWORK AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

This paper discusses New Product Development (NPD) Process and the perception required for effective NPD Learning (NPDL). A model of learning for NPD organisations is presented and the necessity to assess progression towards learning objectives at the individual, job and organisation level is shown. Three aspects of organisational groundwork are identified and discussed. These include developing the NPD process, implementing the NPD strategy and allocating resources for NPD and NPDL. Ten sets of learning objectives are identified and discussed. These are organisational analysis, barrier demolition, team working, flexible problem solving, use of advanced support tools, facilitating communication, maintaining communication, decision making, assessment of the NPD process and NPDL, and NPD risk analysis. It is proposed that adopting both an organisational needs analysis and individual needs analyses can support the development of NPD organisations. These analyses will identify the groundwork that should be undertaken by the organisation and the initial learning objectives for the individuals. The progression of NPD through the NPD process can then be assessed and implemented sufficiently.