In order to achieve their course learning outcomes, public affairs instructors can train students to solve real community problems (SRCP). This approach focuses on the learners themselves and aims to transform the role of college professors from traditional teaching (lecturing) to facilitating and coaching students' learning activities. This study…

TWO SWITCH-LIGHT PROBLEMS WERE USED TO INVESTIGATE THREE VARIABLES THAT INFLUENCE PROBLEM-SOLVING PERFORMANCE--(1) THE NUMBER OF DISTRACTING RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES, (2) THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES, AND (3) THE NUMBER OF MINIMALLY REQUIRED RESPONSES. IN THE PROBLEMS USED, THE SUBJECT ATTEMPTED TO ACHIEVE A PARTICULAR PATTERN OF…

THE EFFECT OF ANXIETY ON COGNITIVE PROCESS HAS BEEN AN AREA OF EXTENSIVE RESEARCH. CONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE HAS INDICATED THAT HIGH ANXIOUS SUBJECTS ARE INFERIOR TO LOW ANXIOUS SUBJECTS ON COMPLEX COGNITIVE TASKS. ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH MAY INFLUENCE THE EFFECTS OF ANXIETY IS THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH A TASK IS PRESENTED. RECENT RESEARCH HAS SUGGESTED…

Observed college students (N=195) divided according to sex and measures of wittiness to determine the effects of humor on problem solving in groups. Results showed that group composition was not a crucial issue in problem-solving performance, but that humerous group interaction was, and did not interfere with ongoing task performance. (LLL)

Think aloud data were gathered from 19 subjects solving three statistical problems. Good problem solvers differed from poor in that they (1) more often clarified essential concepts related to the problem, or (2) appeared to attend more closely to what was actually asked for in the problem. (Author/SJL)

Two studies explored the relation of task understanding to performance in the Wason selection tasks, in which subjects successfully solve tasks involving either social exchange situations or cheating detection content and perspective. Findings indicate that previous results (Gigerenzer and Hug, 1992) could be attributed to three general properties…

This study with 432 college students examined how variables influence the relative performance of groups and individuals on creative problem-solving tasks. Having more ideas available (through a priming manipulation) led to better individual performance. Group performance, however, was enhanced by training appropriate to problem content that…

This study attempted to extend prior research on everyday problem solving by analyzing the effects of goal clarity and the presence or absence of a partner on performance in a number of problems. Subjects were 35 undergraduates who were screened, matched, and tested as singles or dyads during which time they thought aloud. Problems included mazes,…

THE THREE MAIN PURPOSES OF THIS RESEARCH IN PROBLEM-SOLVING WERE (1) TO EVALUATE GROUP PERFORMANCE VERSUS PERFORMANCE NORMS BASED ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE PROBLEM, (2) TO STUDY INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE, AND (3) TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT THAT A PARTICULAR EDUCATIONAL LEVEL HAS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE PROBLEMS. THE SUBJECTS USED CONSISTED OF A…

Tests of spatial ability that were designed to minimize the effects of sociocultural expectations on performance were administered to adults of both sexes. The tests examined spatial problem-solving, spatial memory, and psychomotor spatial performance, as measured by three "throwing tasks." Thirty-four male and 34 female university…

Young children and college-age adults were read short stories describing a consistent or inconsistent adult response to a child's action and were given additional information that resolved or failed to resolve the inconsistency. Results concerned subjects' abilities to detect and resolve the inconsistency and to repair a comprehension problem in…

Compared performances for male and female groups using three different group problem-solving procedures: unstructured, structured-open, and structured-forced. Results indicated that female groups performed better with the structured-forced procedure than with the structured-open procedure. Male groups performed better with the structured-open…