Problem solving

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/problem-solving

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What was Problem solving's job?Central to fields like law, medicine, programming, and consulting
2. What is the problem types?Categorized as well-defined/ill-defined and fact-based/socio-emotional
3. What is the cognitive impediments?Includes confirmation bias, mental set, and functional fixedness

Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that confirms one's existing beliefs.
Functional Fixedness: A cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used.
Complex Problem Solving (CPS): Tackling problems with multiple, interrelated obstacles and often unclear goals.