Abstract
Following on previous studies which explored problem‐solving in terms of availability of functions, the present experiment considered whether the necessary past experiences for the solution of a problem can be conveyed to subjects by demonstrating to them the functions found to be critical for the solution. The ‘ball problem’ was given to sixty‐five 17‐year‐old school boys. The two critical functions were demonstrated beforehand to twenty boys of whom nineteen solved the problem within the 30 min. allowed. Of the forty‐five boys given no such demonstration only ten attained solution. These results support the conclusion drawn from earlier experiments that a subject will solve a problem if he has the necessary functions available. They also support the more general contention that a fundamental aspect of problem‐solving is uncovered by considering the process in terms of the functions of concrete objects. The results are related to a number of experiments on the effect of hints at demonstration on problem solving.
Keywords
PsychologyBall (mathematics)Mathematical problemCognitive psychologyMathematics educationMathematicsMathematical analysis
Affiliated Institutions
Related Publications
Strategy Guidance and Memory Aiding in Learning a Problem-Solving Skill
Guidance can help learners overcome the difficulties of getting started in a novel domain, but it is often ineffective in promoting learning and transfer. This article examines ...
Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning
Considerable evidence indicates that domain specific knowledge in the form of schemas is the primary factor distinguishing experts from novices in problem‐solving skill. Evidenc...
The Use of Worked Examples as a Substitute for Problem Solving in Learning Algebra
The knowledge required to solve algebra manipulation problems and procedures designed to hasten knowledge acquisition were studied in a series of five experiments. It was hypoth...
Dual Averaging Method for Regularized Stochastic Learning and Online Optimization
We consider regularized stochastic learning and online optimization problems, where the objective function is the sum of two convex terms: one is the loss function of the learni...
A computational theory of human stereo vision
An algorithm is proposed for solving the stereoscopic matching problem. The algorithm consists of five steps: (1) Each image is filtered at different orientations with bar masks...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1960
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 97-104
- Citations
- 22
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
22
OpenAlex
Cite This
Per Saugstad,
Kjell Raaheim
(1960).
PROBLEM‐SOLVING, PAST EXPERIENCE AND AVAILABILITY OF FUNCTIONS.
British Journal of Psychology
, 51
(2)
, 97-104.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1960.tb00730.x
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1960.tb00730.x