Working in groups of three, seventh-grade students were video taped solving an applied mathematical problem. Audio tapes were made of each group discussing their session. Analysis focused on the first stage of Noddings (1984) model of problem solving for school mathematics: Creation of a representation. Some factors identified as impeding formation of a useful representation were: (a) lack of experience; (b) imposing unrequired restrictions on the problem; (c) lack of metacognitive skills; and (d) the influence of beliefs. Group interaction frequently offset these factors. (Author)