Heuristics and representational change in two-move matchstick tasks

Insight problems are problems where the problem solver struggles to find a solution until * aha! * the solution suddenly appears. Two contemporary theories suggest that insight problems are difficult either because problem solvers begin with an incorrect representation of the problem, or that problem solvers apply inappropriate heuristics to the problem. The relative contributions of representational change and inappropriate heuristics on the process of insight problem solving was studied with a task that required the problem solver to move two matchsticks in order to transform an incorrect arithmetic statement into a correct one. Problem solvers (N = 120) worked on two different types of two-move matchstick arithmetic problems that both varied with respect to the effectiveness of heuristics and to the degree of a necessary representational change of the problem representation. A strong influence of representational change on solution rates was found whereas the influence of heuristics had minimal effects on solution rates. That is, the difficulty of insight problems within the two-move matchstick arithmetic domain is governed by the degree of representational change required. A model is presented that details representational change as the necessary condition for ensuring that appropriate heuristics can be applied on the proper problem representation

The dynamics of search, impasse, and representational change provide a coherent explanation of difficulty in the nine-dot problem

The nine-dot problem is often used to demonstrate and explain mental impasse, creativity, and out of the box thinking. The present study investigated the interplay of a restricted initial search space, the likelihood of invoking a representational change, and the subsequent constraining of an unrestricted search space. In three experimental conditions, participants worked on different versions of the nine-dot problem that hinted at removing particular sources of difficulty from the standard problem. The hints were incremental such that the first suggested a possible route for a solution attempt; the second additionally indicated the dot at which lines meet on the solution path; and the final condition also provided non-dot locations that appear in the solution path. The results showed that in the experimental conditions, representational change is encountered more quickly and problems are solved more often than for the control group. We propose a cognitive model that focuses on general problem solving heuristics and representational change to explain problem difficulty

Insight and search in Katona’s five-square problem

Insights are often productive outcomes of human thinking. We provide a cognitive model that explains insight problem solving by the interplay of problem space search and representational change, whereby the problem space is constrained or relaxed based on the problem representation. By introducing different experimental conditions that either constrained the initial search space or helped solvers to initiate a representational change, we investigated the interplay of problem space search and representational change in Katona’s five-square problem. Testing 168 participants, we demonstrated that independent hints relating to the initial search space and to representational change had little effect on solution rates. However, providing both hints caused a significant increase in solution rates. Our results show the interplay between problem space search and representational change in insight problem solving: The initial problem space can be so large that people fail to encounter impasse, but even when representational change is achieved the resulting problem space can still provide a major obstacle to finding the solution

The King of Rockingham County and the Original Bridge to Nowhere

This chapter, reveals the story -- the clash of personalities, the economic tensions, and the political significance -- behind Rockingham County v. Luten Bridge Co. Since its publication in 1929, the opinion has proceeded to leave an impression on generations of law students. Luten Bridge, a staple in most contracts casebooks, is known today as the paradigmatic case that demonstrates the duty to mitigate damages in contract law, whereby a nonbreaching party is not compensated for performance that occurs after the other party announces an intention to breach. This chapter takes on three objectives: it identifies the case\u27s original importance, uncovers the opinion\u27s political and jurisprudential significance, and tells a remarkable story, one that arose within a heated tax revolt pitting the county\u27s farmers against its most celebrated industrialist. Much more than a crisp illustration of the duty to mitigate, Rockingham County v. The Luten Bridge Co. offers a window into a southern community\u27s struggles with a divided social order, the introduction of wealth into local politics, and a changing economy

Мотиваційний аспект діяльності учителя при вивченні фізики в школі

(uk) У статті розглянуті проблеми активізації пізнавальної діяльності учнів при вивченні фізики в середній школі.(en) The problems of students knowledge activity while learning physics in secondary school are reviled in the article

Solving Classical Insight Problems Without Aha! Experience: 9 Dot, 8 Coin, and Matchstick Arithmetic Problems

Insightful problem solving is a vital part of human thinking, yet very difficult to grasp. Traditionally, insight has been investigated by using a set of established “insight tasks,” assuming that insight has taken place if these problems are solved. Instead of assuming that insight takes place during every solution of the 9 Dot, 8 Coin, and Matchstick Arithmetic Problems, this study explored the likelihood that solutions evoked the “Aha! experience,” which is often regarded as the defining characteristic of insight. It was predicted that the rates of self-reported Aha! experiences might vary based on the necessary degree of constraint relaxation. The main assumption was that the likelihood of experiencing an Aha! would decrease with increasing numbers of constraints that must be relaxed, because several steps are needed to achieve a representational change and solve the problem, and thus, the main feature of suddenness of a solution might be lacking. The results supported this prediction, and demonstrated that in many cases participants do solve these classical insight problems without any Aha! experience. These results show the importance of obtaining insight ratings from participants to determine whether any given problem is solved with insight or not

eLearning und Leistungsdokumentation mittels PTT

Die vorliegende Arbeit versteht sich als Projektbericht. Im Zuge des Bekenntnisses der europäischen Bildungsminister zum gemeinsamen, europäischen Hochschulraum wurde eLearning an der Universität Wien etabliert. Blended Learning Szenarien sind seit geraumer Zeit gelebte Realität. Der Lehrstuhl für Externes Rechnungswesen hat die Herausforderung angenommen und im Zuge der universitätsweiten eLearning Offensive „Lernen mit neuen Medien“ , PTT (Performance Tracking Tool) – ein moodlebasiertes Tool zur Evaluierung von Studierendenleistungen entwickelt. Ausgangssituation, Entwicklung und Anwendung des Tools werden detailliert erläutert. Im Vorfeld wird eLearning in geschichtlichem Kontext, didaktischer Bedeutung und anhand gängiger Varianten und Verfahren dargestellt. Ein weiterer Abschnitt ist der Entstehung und Entwicklung des Bologna Prozesses gewidmet

Isotopenhydrogeologische Untersuchungen im südlichen Salzburger Becken (Golling, Kuchl, Vigaun, Hallein), Österreich

Trotz seiner Bedeutung in der Trinkwasserversorgung ist die Herkunft des Grundwassers des Gamper Brunnenfelds (GBF) im Südlichen Salzburger Becken (SSB) ungeklärt. Eine 2014 bis 2016 durchgeführte Studie unter Verwendung von stabilen Isotopen und einer numerischen 2D-Modellierung führte zu wichtigen Erkenntnissen, aber auch zu widersprüchlichen Schlussfolgerungen: Die dabei numerisch nachgewiesene Anspeisung des GBF durch die nahe Salzach ist aus Sicht der stabilen Isotope nicht möglich. Im Zeitraum 2017 bis 2019 wurden in einer weiteren Studie an 17 Messstellen Proben zur Analytik stabiler Isotope entnommen und anstatt einer numerischen Modellierung eine umfassende Betrachtung der Aquifergenese auf Basis der aktuellen Literatur und moderner Ansätze geomorphologischer Entwicklung alpiner Täler durchgeführt. In die Betrachtungen wurden hydraulische, hydrochemische und physikalische Eigenschaften des Grundwassers einbezogen. Als Ergebnis liegt ein Konzeptmodell vor, das für alle Eigenschaften der betroffenen Grundwasservorkommen eine schlüssige Erklärung darstellt. Von Bedeutung ist dabei, dass die instationäre Versickerung der Taugl zu einer partiellen Fraktionierung stabiler Isotope führt

Search and Coherence-Building in Intuition and Insight Problem Solving

Coherence-building is a key concept for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of intuition and insight problem solving. There are several accounts that address certain aspects of coherence-building. However, there is still no proper framework defining the general principles of coherence-building. We propose a four-stage model of coherence-building. The first stage starts with spreading activation restricted by constraints. This dynamic is a well-defined rule based process. The second stage is characterized by detecting a coherent state. We adopted a fluency account assuming that the ease of information processing indicates the realization of a coherent state. The third stage is designated to evaluate the result of the coherence-building process and assess whether the given problem is solved or not. If the coherent state does not fit the requirements of the task, the process re-enters at stage 1. These three stages characterize intuition. For insight problem solving a fourth stage is necessary, which restructures the given representation after repeated failure, so that a new search space results. The new search space enables new coherent states. We provide a review of the most important findings, outline our model, present a large number of examples, deduce potential new paradigms and measures that might help to decipher the underlying cognitive processes