Problem Solving - Psychology
... that reasoning by analogy can be used to overcome the effects of functional fixedness in problem solving, and allow representation of problems in different ways. Method The present experiment is based on those presented in Gick and Holyoak (1980) and two experiments by Duncker (1945). A pool of participants will be selected from a random population of first year university students, to ensure a very minimal amount of knowledge in the area of psychology. The pool of participants will be randomly divided into two groups, group A and group B. To the participants of group B, as in Gick and Holyoak (1980), a passage will be presented (Appendix A), in an individual environment, outlining a particular scenario which will be analogous to the problem presented below. The participants will be told to read the passage and take notes, and that the passage is relevant to the experiment, to ensure that the passage is not forgotten or ignored. The subjects will then be introduced to the candle and box experiment, as presented in Duncker (1945). A medium size candle, a box filled with tacks and a book filled with matches are presented on a table in front of a cork board. The participants are then instructed to attach the candle to the cork board in a way where the candle will burn normally. The solution to the problem is that the box is to be attached to the cork board, using the tacks, and the candle is to be placed in the box. Note that the tacks are presented placed inside the box, because if they are placed outside of the box the subjects will find the experiment easier, as alternate functions for the box are more readily realised (Adamson, 1952). The variables will be measured on the basis of completion – completed or not completed. Group A is the control group with no variable manipulating the results, and the results of the candle experiment will be compared to the results of group B. Group B is the group being manipulated, and their results are being varied by the reading of the passage at the beginning of the experiment. Hypothetical Results Previous results of the candle experiment have found that most people fail to find the required result – many subjects attempt to use the tack to attach the candle to the wall. This result stems from the participant’s unwillingness to see any other use or function for the box, other than being a box. From past experience (Gick and Holyack, 1980) we expect to find a small percentage of subjects who are able to complete the task in Group A (a similar figure to Karl Duncker’s original test). This is due to the box being functionally fixed as a box. However, from the results for Group B, we would expect to find a large percentage of participants able to complete the task. We expect successful group B subjects to be using the problem solving technique of reasoning by analogy – whereby participants create new methods of solving problems based on past experience with a similar task, in a different domain. The story, originally presented to them, creates a structure which corresponds with the candle problem, which Gick and Holyoak (1980) termed an “abstract schema”. As our hypothesis notes, by reusing the relevant structures from the analogous abstract, participants should be able to use these to move past their functional fixedness, re-representing their problem solving set, representing the box as a base rather than just a box. It is expected that there will be a small percentage of participants, from group A, able to complete the task. This will most likely be caused by participants realising the fundamentals of the task, and overcoming functional fixedness without assistance. By comparing the results of Group A, the control group, and Group B it should be obvious to note the effects, from the above discussions, of exposing the independent variable on the participant’s abilities to complete the candle task. Deviations from the above results are not expected, as much of this experiment is based on past research (Duncker, 1945; Gick and...