problem solving Quick reference
The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine (3 ed.)
... solving The ability to adjust to a situation by acquiring new modes of response. Problem solving applies especially to learning in which a certain amount of insight or reasoning...
problem solving n. Quick reference
A Dictionary of Psychology (4 ed.)
... solving n . Cognitive processing directed at finding solutions to well-defined problems , such as the Tower of Hanoi , Wason selection task , or a water-jar problem , by performing a sequence of operations. Problem solving by means of logic or logical analysis is usually called reasoning . See also 2-4-6 problem , algorithm , brute force algorithm , convergence–divergence , functional fixedness , General Problem Solver , ill-defined problem , insight ( 2 ) , intelligence , lateral thinking , Monty Hall problem , muddy children...
problem-solving Quick reference
A Dictionary of Chemical Engineering
...problem-solving A set of mental techniques used to solve complex problems. There are many techniques commonly used including: brainstorming, which is used to present solutions and developed to reach an optimum; root cause analysis, which aims to eliminate the problem; trial and error , which involves systematically testing possible solutions; and lateral thinking, which seeks solutions either indirectly or creatively. ...
Problem Solving Reference library
Richard E. Mayer
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology
...solve new problems). This article examines definitions of key concepts in problem solving, approaches to the study of problem solving, and issues and themes in the field of problem solving; along the way, the article discusses educational implications. Definition of Problem Solving Problem solving refers to cognitive processing directed at achieving a goal for which the problem solver does not initially know a solution method. This definition consists of four major elements ( Mayer, 1992 , 2013 ; Mayer & Wittrock, 2006 ): • Cognitive —Problem...
problem-solving Quick reference
A Dictionary of Animal Behaviour (2 ed.)
...-solving The ability to reach a goal that seems initially unattainable. In the study of problem-solving in animals, the problems are usually set by humans, but certain types of problem may occur in nature, particularly detour problems and problems associated with harvesting food efficiently. The ability to solve problems is often taken as a sign of * intelligent behaviour , but it is not possible to devise a fair intelligence test for an animal. Not only are some species good at some types of problem-solving and other species other types, but the...
problem solving Reference library
Peter Cathcart Wason
The Oxford Companion to the Mind (2 ed.)
... solving . A great deal of the art of problem solving is to understand the kind of question that is posed and the kind of answer that is demanded. It is for this reason that psychologists prefer problems with unique solutions, and that they try to ensure that individuals understand what they have to solve. There are several theoretical points of view about problem solving, but none is really complete because each tends to be restricted to different problem domains, and there is little definitive agreement about what constitutes a problem. The Gestalt ...
distributed problem solving Quick reference
A Dictionary of Computer Science (7 ed.)
...problem solving An approach whereby a problem is decomposed into many smaller subproblems that are then distributed to different processing...
problem-solving approach n. Quick reference
A Dictionary of Nursing (8 ed.)
...-solving approach [ prob -lĕm-sol-ving] n. a method of planning work involving assessment, problem identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation. See nursing process...
problem-solving stages n. Quick reference
A Dictionary of Psychology (4 ed.)
...-solving stages n . The successive phases that can be observed in the process of problem solving . According to the most influential scheme, proposed by the English psychologist Graham Wallas ( 1858–1932 ) in his book The Art of Thought ( 1921 ), the stages are preparation, incubation , illumination or insight ( 2 ) , and verification. According to the US philosopher John Dewey ( 1859–1952 ) in his book How We Think ( 1933 ), the stages are suggestion, translation of a difficulty into a well-defined problem , framing of a hypothesis, ...
Problem-solving Workshops Reference library
The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Peace
...) also argued that there are some differences between the perceptions of two diplomatic communities according to whether they have a “service provider” or “service receiver” perspective. Problem-solving workshops have been criticized on several grounds. One of the criticisms is centered on the problem of “reentry.” The reentry problem refers to the return of problem-solving workshop participants back into their societies after going through changes in a conflict-free and safe environment. This step is especially a concern if the participants go back into a...
problem-solving court Reference library
Australian Law Dictionary (3 ed.)
...problem-solving court A court, such as a drug and alcohol court or mental health court , that works within a different psychological framework from the traditional law and order and rule of law rationales for legal sanctions on behaviour. It seeks to ‘address the underlying problems of individual litigants, the social problems of communities [and] the structural and operational problems of a fractured justice system’ (Berman and Feinblatt 2003 ). There is some degree of tension between the traditional conceptions that informed constitutional...
problem solving
recursively solvable problem Quick reference
A Dictionary of Computer Science (7 ed.)
...solvable problem Another term for solvable problem. See decision problem...
General Problem Solver n. Quick reference
A Dictionary of Psychology (4 ed.)
...Problem Solver n . A computer program designed to simulate human problem solving , introduced in 1958 by the US cognitive scientist Allen Newell ( 1927–92 ), the US economist John Clark Shaw (born 1933 ), and the US political scientist and decision theorist Herbert A(lexander) Simon ( 1916–2001 ), and developed further in 1972 by Newell and Simon . In this program, a problem is represented as a table of connections showing the distances between all pairs of states (initial, intervening, and final), and problem solving is modelled as a...
Problem-solving Workshops
problem-solving stages
problem-solving approach
