Recognizing, Defining, and Representing Problems

Abstract

What are the problems that you are currently trying to solve in your life? Most of us have problems that have been posed to us (e.g., assignments from our supervisors). But we also recognize problems on our own (e.g., you might have noticed the need for additional parking space in the city where you work). After identifying the existence of a problem, we must define its scope and goals. The problem of parking space is often seen as a need for more parking lots or parking garages. However, in order to solve this problem creatively, it may be useful to turn it around and redefine it as a problem of too many vehicles requiring a space in which to sit during the workday. In that case, you may be prompted to redefine the problem: You decide to organize a carpool among people who use downtown parking lots and institute a daytime local taxi service using these privately owned vehicles. Thus, you solve the problem not as you originally posed it but as you later reconceived it. Problem solving does not usually begin with a clear statement of the problem; rather, most problems must be identified in the environment; then they must be defined and represented mentally. The focus of this chapter is on these early stages of problem solving: problem recognition, problem definition, and problem representation. THE PROBLEM-SOLVING CYCLE Psychologists have described the problem-solving process in terms of a cycle (Bransford & Stein, 1993; Hayes, 1989; Sternberg, 1986).

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