Since Polya, Wertheimer, and Hadamard's descriptions of qualitative reasoning strategies used by scientists and mathematicians, very little data have been collected on whether these strategies are actually used by experts. This study used video-taped thinking-aloud interviews to examine the problem solving strategies of professors and advanced…

In designing clothing to serve a particular function, home economics students developed an appreciation for a variety of interrelationships, and possibilities for contributions in the functional design of clothing became apparent. (AG)

Creativity was examined in 142 middle and lower class children across a wide age range (7 to 13 years) and intellectual ability (low average to gifted). The instruments were lenient (16 items) and stringent (4 items) solution standard measures of original problem solving, and two subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Scores for…

THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY LISTS MATERIAL ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF VERBAL LEARNING. APPROXIMATELY 50 UNANNOTATED REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED TO DOCUMENTS DATING FROM 1960 TO 1965. JOURNALS, BOOKS, AND REPORT MATERIALS ARE LISTED. SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDED ARE CONDITIONING, VERBAL BEHAVIOR, PROBLEM SOLVING, SEMANTIC SATIATION, STIMULUS DURATION, AND VERBAL…

The study of problem solving is made through the analysis of the process that leads to the final answer. The type of information obtained through the study of the process is compared with the information obtained by studying the final answer. The experimental technique used permits to identify the sequence of questions (tactics) that subjects ask…

The purpose was to determine the effect of group size on both the total and the average per person fluency, flexibility, and originality of responses to problem solving tasks. One hundred sixty-three college juniors and seniors were assigned at random to groups of one, three, six, or twelve members. All groups were given identical instructions to…

Correction for attenuation is important for partial correlations because not even the sign of the partial between true scores can be inferred safely from the partial between observed (fallible) scores. Methods for inferring the corrected partial are discussed. Unfortunately, the corrected partial will sometimes have an overwhelming sampling error.…

This study examines strategic and semantic aspects of the answers given by preschool children to class inclusion problems. Results show that children understand the semantics of inclusion but are unable to coordinate their semantic knowledge with enumeration strategy. (Author/DEP)

Two experiments using two versions of the missionary and cannibal problem investigated the conditions under which the specification of a subgoal would facilitate problem solving. Specification of a subgoal in the smaller problem space improved performance only in reaching the subgoal when it was not too distant from the initial state. (Author/DEP)

Reviews two books, the first of which explores how children conceive possible ways to solve problems and differentiate among real, possible, and necessary solutions. The second book explains the construction of knowledge as a dialectical tension of the opening of new possibilities constrained by increasingly stronger necessities from which a…

Explores the conceptual components of a computer program designed to enhance creative thinking and reviews software that aims to stimulate creative thinking. Discusses BRAIN and ORACLE, programs intended to aid in creative problem solving. (JOW)