The Psychology of Problem Solving

Part I. Introduction: 1. Recognizing, defining, and representing problems 2. The acquisition of expert performance as problem solving: construction and modification of mediating mechanisms through deliberate practice Part II. Relevant Abilities and Skills: 3. Is success or failure at problem solving complex problems related to intellectual ability? 4. Creativity: a source of difficulty in problem solving 5. Insights about insightful problem solving 6. The role of working memory in problem solving 7. Comprehension of text in problem solving Part III. States and Strategies: 8. Motivating self-regulated problem solvers 9. Feeling and thinking: implications for problem solving 10. The fundamental computational biases of human cognition: heuristics that (sometimes) impair decision making and problem solving 11. Analogical transfer in problem solving Part IV. Conclusions and Integration: 12. Problem-solving, large/small, hard/easy problem-space/problem-solver: the issue of dichotomization.