1. ill and well-defined problems

2. Two historical traditions
-association and search
-Gestalt theory and representation

3. Newell and Simon
-algorithms and heuristics
-problem space
-types of searches
-protocol analysis

4. expertise and creativity

Answer not directly accessible from memory;
thinking involved

Thinking:
Convergent thinking:

how are the following alike: blue rat moon

Divergent thinking

1. Well defined problems
-the initial and goal states are not ambiguous; the mental operators that you can use to find the goal state is known; you can check the answer for best-fit

example 1; what should be my next move in a chess game
 

example:

DONALD +GERALD ROBERT

D=5

task: replace each answer with a digit to make a legitimate equation

example:
should I take a job where I worked last year or take a potentially more exciting job with better long-term potential that pays much less/

1. Problem solving is a problem is search (finding the answer)

-the solution is available in your knowledge base; you just have to find it

example: Thorndike and the "Puzzle Box"

-we often fail to solve problems because we are using REPRODUCTIVE search strategies; that is, trying to solve a problem using strategies that have worked in the past but are not effective with the problem at hand

example of reproductive search failures:
-SET (situational)
-FUNCTIONAL FIXIDNESS (more permanent characteristic of memory)
        -the candle problem

the Gestalt tradition: we fail to solve problems because we are representing the problem incorrectly

Gestalt theory
-based on perception
-learning is all-or-none
-principles like figure-ground

example; Kekule and the discovery of the Benzene ring

TASK: using only 4 straight lines, and drawing continuously (can't lift pen from paper) cover all 9 dots