The Psychology of Problem-Solving - Coursework Example

Problem-Solving Every day a person is involved in a variety of situations at work, college, or home that appear to be notthe ones they are expected to be. This is what people call problems. They are widespread and create obstacles for people to overcome. As well as problems, their solutions can vary to the great extent as well as both problems and solutions can be too blurred and obscured to be noticed. In any case, the ability of a person to cope with problematic situations depends on the level of problem-solving skills a person possesses. A part of this competence is knowing the problem-solving circle which represents a model to solve a problem, regardless of its source, or issues it touches upon. The term problem-solving can be used to characterize a variety of activities, differing in their degree of complexity or in the amount of time needed to settle down an issue. Therefore, such cases as solving a puzzle, planning an urban place and making a policy require resorting to the problem-solving process. Problem-solving can be defined as a mental process which consists of discovering an issue and analyzing it using skills and knowledge needed to develop a strategy for overcoming obstacles and finding feasible solutions to solve a problem. ("Restructuring Associates") By this, the kind of a problem, context, it source, and other implications are not clearly defined, meaning that problem solving is common for all aspects of life of a person. What can be understood under a problem in this context is a situation, in which individuals appear or experience, that is different from what they would ideally expect or desire it to be. Subsequently, problem-solving process is directed at smoothing the difference between the actual and desirable situations, or achieving the ideal one. Putting following in simple words, problem-solving means a kind of an effort one would make in order to reach a particular goal by means of overcoming obstacles and choosing between the possible courses of an action. As it was previously mentioned, problem-solving presupposes a process that demand from one to go through a set of discrete stages or steps that are arranged in a sequence with each subsequent step being built on the successful accomplishment of the previous step. Consequently, it is generally agreed to differentiate between the seven basic steps of the problem-solving process that make up a problem-solving circle, identified by the American psychologist Robert Sternberg. (Davidson and Sternberg 3-6) The steps are referred to as a cycle due to the fact that the completion of one step usually gives rise to a new problem, and then the steps needed to be repeated. It is important to understand that following these steps is not an obligatory requirement standing behind the success of the process as a whole. In contrast, flexibility is essential since every problem and its conditions are unique, thereof, it would be normal to disregard or add some steps or come back to a step once or twice again, in case it is appropriate and reasonable. (Davidson and Sternberg 3-6) To start with, it is obvious that an issue should be identified to have a subject of a discussion. At this stage the existence of a problem to be solved is recognized and named by a person. It requires a broad and thorough review of the current state to fit together information, notice some inconsistencies, and other. In fact, the following is not always an easy task that can cause certain difficulties. For instance, a person can appear unable to see the problem, to realize that he/she has a particular goal, or that its achievement is obstructed or somehow threatened. ("Restructuring Associates") At the same time, the solution which individuals keep in mind can be inappropriate, but they fail to realize this fact. Doubtlessly, identification of a problem is the crucial stage that encourages one to start thinking and in particular direction and taking actions. On the second stage a person comes to defining and representing a problem in full. The following step presupposes determining what is actually wrong – symptoms and scope of the issue. Usually, during this part of the problem-solving process it becomes clear what is wrong and why this phenomenon or circumstance occurs, that is what deeper condition underlies the current state and constitutes the problem. In other words, defining implies that a person attempts to find the roots of the problem. At this point, useful can be thinking of things in terms of cause and effect relationships as well as comparing the current situation or state to the desirable or expected ones. ("Restructuring Associates") Defining a problem is essential because the better all implications and conditions of a problem are understood, the more successful it can be solved. In contrast, the poor definition will lead to significant difficulties in dealing with the situation and will lead to time wastage resulting from trying to address a wrong issue. Furthermore, after a problem is identified and properly defined, the next logical step is to formulate a concrete strategy that will enable one to settle an issue. The least appropriate decision would be to jump to a conclusion without thinking thoroughly about different aspects of a problem. Subsequently, during this stage a person can use the variety of strategies that prove to be helpful. Firstly, persons should analyze a problem, which means to learn as much as it is possible about its elements and think of how these elements can be addressed separately. The following can bring ease into the process as well as making it more focused and specified. Next, the process of strategy formulation can involve synthesis of various parts of a problem in order to make something new from them. In other words, synthesis is thinking about a problem as about a complex and deciding upon the solution that would take care of each part involved. Furthermore, quite useful is trying to formulate a set of possible alternative solutions that would later assist in finding the best one. Finally, the defined list of solutions should be narrowed through evaluating strong and weak sides of the possible courses of an action to find the most appropriate solution. Naturally, the selected approach will depend on a nature of a situation and other circumstances, such as unique preferences of an individual. Having formulated the concrete strategy, it is important to organize all the needed information about an issue that will enable to implement the chosen plan for action. Although throughout all the previous stages, various kinds of information were constantly organized and weighted and by this time one is likely to possess its sufficient amount. However, at this point, all available information should be well-structured and fully realized. Apart from that, there is a need to search for possible gaps in knowledge that could remain unfilled yet. What is known and what is not known, who is involved, what criteria should be met, etc. – are the questions to be asked here. Equally important is to allocate resources that are to be used during the problem-solving process. To this belong not only material things, such as money and equipment, but time, space, and people as well. Obviously, a person would not be able to have all resources in unlimited amount and, therefore, it is crucial to be aware of what kind of resources are of the first priority and what – are less needed. Subsequently, calculations are required in order to avoid wasting time on issues that will brings little aid in problem-solving and make sure that there is sufficient amount of everything needed. The last two stages of the problem-solving circle include monitoring and evaluating results. A person who has well-developed problem-solving skills, will definitely monitor the progress of the process and will not continue in case a chosen strategy appeared to be not effective. At the same time, he/she will not proceed to the next step until the previous goal is reached. (Davidson and Sternberg 3-6) Similarly, a thorough evaluation of the solution is needed after a person has finished working on it. The aims can be different: to make sure that the chosen solution was indeed the best one; to generate ideas how to improve the process; to rethink the ways of using resources; or to define the new problems. Both evaluation right after the completion or some time later prove to be useful. To sum up, problem-solving is a term used to mark a process during which a person attempts to discover, analyze, and solve a problem. The goal is to find the best and the most effective solution, relevant to the nature of an issue, and the context in which it occurs. As a whole, the following process can be broken into seven separate stages with every next stage being built upon the previous one. Noticeably, every step has its own goal, but their success depends on the success with which the previous one was completed. At the same time, the sequence of the problem-solving circle is not strictly defined, since it depends on the unique problem. Due to it, some stages can be omitted while some repeated or added. Works cited Davidson, Janet, and Robert Sternberg. The psychology of problem solving. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 3-6. Print. "Problem Solving Overview ." Restructuring Associates. (2008): n. page. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. . Read More