Clinical research in expressive therapies, psychodrama in particular, offer education researchers and software designers descriptive analyses and evidence-based impact studies on attitudinal shifts and enhanced problem solving abilities for patients and students who participate in psychodrama role-play. Gaming environments and virtual worlds that…

In solving a problem, how does the subject single out an intermediate hypothesis? When a sequence of hypotheses does not lead to a solution, how does he revise them? Does he give up the entire sequence? Article considered these problems. (Author/RK)

The present study observed problem-solving styles with anagrams to see whether observing a model solve anagrams in a rigid or flexible way would affect the types of solutions the subjects used. (Author)

After being measured for test anxiety, three groups of participants observed an experimenter, who served as a model, solve sample problems prior to performing themselves. Opportunity to observe a model who verbalized while working on problems and who stated general principles had a positive effect on performance. (Author/KM)

Although partially specified goals are sometimes thought to result from the uncertainties of ill-structured problems, analysis of human problem solving shows that indefinite goals are used in solving problems that are otherwise well structured. The example studied is taken from plane geometry and involves proving that two triangles are congruent.…

Following an introductory definition of "scientific ability and creativity", product-oriented, personality and social psychological approaches to studying scientific ability are examined with reference to competence and performance. Studies in the psychometric versus cognitive psychological paradigms are dealt with in more detail. These two…

This paper address three questions: (1) What is the nature of design? (2) How do skilled designers function? and (3) Can a theory of design be constructed which will allow novice and expert instructional designers to perform their tasks more efficiently and effectively? It begins by presenting two general theories of design: Simon's conception of…

This paper attempted to resolve major methodological and design inadequacies associated with encounter, T-, and sensitivity groups. In addition, it highlighted some issues that have not been sufficiently considered previously. (Author/RK)

The theoretical framework for investigating human planning behavior and the procedures, results, and implications of two experiments involving planning in the domain of software design are presented in this report. A plan is defined as a hierarchical structure that underlies the solution to a problem; planning is the process of constructing this…

Presents evidence that the psychological principles that govern the perception of decision problems and evaluation of probabilities and outcomes produce predictable shifts of preference when the same problem is framed in different ways. (Author/SK)

A project was conducted at the University of Goteborg in Sweden to study how students of statistics make use of their knowledge when they solve statistical problems and how this knowledge utilization can be improved. The initial study objectives were to identify deficiencies and limitations pertaining to students' knowledge utilization and to…

This report summarizes research on experienced programmers' comprehension of computer programs that was carried out over a three-year contract period (1982-85). Following an extensive review of the programming skill literature, an analysis of programs based on the multiple abstractions (points-of-view) that characterize program text and design was…

This paper examines the cognitive processes associated with higher-order thinking strategies--i.e., cognitive processes directly associated with the employment of knowledge in the service of problem solving and creativity--in order to more clearly define a prescribed instructional method to improve problem-solving skills. The first section of the…

A theoretical model relating problem identification to problem solving is presented. The main purpose of the study is to increase understanding of decision making among Air Force educators. The problem-solving process is defined as the generation and evaluation of alternatives that will accomplish what is needed and the reidentification of what is…