Overview

 **Overview of Obstacles and Aids to Problem Solving **

**What is Problem Solving? ** To appreciate the obstacles and aids involved in solving problems, first understand the process of problem solving itself. In this section, I will briefly explain the process. According to Sternberg and Sternberg (2012), to formulate an answer to a question or accomplish a goal, employ problem solving to overcome obstacles (p. 443). According to Whitten (2013), there are three aspects or states to a problem, as outlined below (para. 3):


 * Initial State**: First, define the problem and describe the current situation. For instance, the kitties have just been put into a maze where there is only one exit.


 * Goal State**: Next, what is the preferred objective or goal reached when the problem is solved? For the kitties, it may be being free of the confines of the maze!


 * Obstacles**: Finally, what are the limitations that inhibit proceeding from the initial state to the goal state? For the kitties, they don’t know whether to go right or left; the walls are too slippery to climb over; and they hit several dead ends.

It’s vital that we focus more on the right information; this is called the process of **problem representation**. In order to solve a problem, pay close attention to what information is relevant by creating “mental pictures” using things like symbols (as in algebra), matrices (as in charts), diagrams (like a Venn-diagram), or any other visual images (Whitten, 2013, para. 6). Thus, we utilize the “**problem-solving cycle**,” which includes: problem identification, problem definition, strategy formulation, organization of information, allocation of resources, monitoring, and evaluation (Sternberg & Sternberg, 2012, p. 444). It may also be helpful to know the two types of problems: a **well-defined problem**, which offers a clear path to the resolution, much like a math problem; and an **ill-defined problem**, which does not offer any specified conditions, much like a medical diagnosis.

Continue on to examine the most important researchers in the field of cognitive psychology, who have studied the various obstacles and aids in problem solving, and their key findings.