Problem-Solving and Creativity

AP Psychology

Building Blocks of Thought

• Mental Images

• Concepts

• Schemas

• Scripts

Mental Images

• Def – a mental picture of a previously stored sensory experience

• Can be visual – not strictly though– Visual – what a rainbow looks like– Sound – roaring race car– Smell – barbequed chicken– Feel – warm breeze

Concepts• Def –group objects, events, or situations that

share similar features and characteristics

• Artificial (formal) concepts - Defined by a specific set of rules or features– Example - Geometric Shapes (triangles, squares,

rectangles)• Natural concepts – formed by everyday

experiences– Examples – vehicles, birds, fruit

Prototype

• Def – most typical instance of concept

• Examples (Concept (prototype))– Vehicle (car)– Bird (robin)– Fruit (apple)

Schema• Def – organized mental framework about a topic,

event, object, idea, setting or group of people– Built from experiences!

• Important role in how we learn to categorize different groups of people– Example – we learn different schemas for racial groups

(can include stereotypes and prejudices)

• Example – To a student – “high school”– Schema – classrooms, cafeterias, science labs, band rooms,

athletic fields

Schema

Script

• Def – type of schema that involves a typical sequence of behavior expected at an everyday event

• Examples– We have scripts for…• Riding a school bus, attending a class, going to a

Christmas party, taking a date to the movie

Problem-Solving Strategies• Algorithms• Def – a logical step-by-step procedure that, if

followed correctly, will eventually solve a specific problem

• Example – Mathematical Formulas– Area of triangle – (½ base x height)

Problem-Solving Strategies• Heuristics• Def – a general rule of thumb or shortcut that

is used to reduce the number of possible solutions

• Examples – College search– You could visit all possible choices (algorithm)– You could use a heuristic - search small liberal

arts colleges located within 300 miles

Heuristics

• I only read books that have won awards

Obstacles to Solving Problems• Mental Sets

• Functional Fixedness

• Confirmation Bias

• The Availability Heuristic

• The Representative Heuristic

Mental Sets• Def – tendency to continue to use a belief

system and problem-solving strategies that worked in the past

• Example – President Hoover’s response to GD– Hoover’s beliefs (mental sets) emphasized

individualism, importance of private charities and laissez-faire attitude toward government

– Because of this mental set, he failed to adopt new economic models that stressed massive spending programs to revive the economy (like FDR)

Mental Sets

Functional Fixedness

• Def – tendency to think of an object as functioning only in its usual or customary way– As a result, individuals often do not see unusual or

innovative uses for familiar objects• Example– A rainstorm approaches as you are on a hike.– You get soaked because you did not think of

cutting holes into trash bags to use as an improvised raincoat

Confirmation Bias• Def – preference for information that confirms

preexisting positions or beliefs, while ignoring or discounting contradictory evidence

• Example – Christopher Columbus• Searching for a new water route to the Indies,

Columbus bumped into the Caribbean• He was so certain that he had reached the

Indies that he called the native people Indians

Confirmation Bias

The Availability Heuristic• Def – Judging the likelihood of an event based

on readily available personal experiences or news reports

• Example – Mega Millions• MM creates vivid memories by running TV

commercials of ecstatic winners. By ignoring the millions of losers, the advertisements help create an unrealistic availability heuristic

Availability Heuristic

The Representative Heuristic• Def – Judging the likelihood of an even based on how

well it matches a typical example

• Example • Kara is attractive, fun-loving, enjoys tanning and

attending rock concerts• When people were asked whether she was a teacher

or a model – most say model• Even though there are far more females teachers than

models• People picked model, because she meets that

prototype

Representative Heuristics

Creativity

• Def – a mental process that produces novel solutions to problems

Divergent Thinking• Def – type of thinking in which problem

solvers devise a number of possible alternative approaches (a major element of creativity)

• Example – Great Depression• Hoover failed to improve because he was

locked into mental sets• FDR embraced divergent thinking when he

proposed a New Deal

Divergent Thinking

Characteristics of Creative Thinking

• Creative people…– Are independent thinkers who resist social

pressures to conform– Display a willingness to grow, change and take

risks– Are internally motivated and display an ability to

focus their full attention on a problem– Are drawn to complex, challenging problems