Goal specificity effects on hypothesis testing in problem solving

Bruce D. Burns · Regina Vollmeyer

92 citations0/0 files storedThe Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A

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Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes Creativity in Education and Neuroscience AI-based Problem Solving and Planning

Abstract

Previous research has found that having a nonspecific goal (NSG) leads to better problem solving and transfer than having a specific goal (SG). To distinguish between the various explanations of this effect requires direct evidence showing how a NSG affects a participant's behaviour. Therefore we collected verbal protocols from participants learning to control a linear system consisting of 3 outputs by manipulating 3 inputs. This system was simpler than the one we had used previously, so in Exp. 1 we generalized our earlier goal specificity findings to this system. In Exp. 2 protocol analysis confirmed our prediction (based on dual-space theories of problem solving) that NSG participants focused on hypothesis testing whereas SG participants focused on the goal. However, this difference only emerged over time. We also replicated the goal specificity effect on performance and showed that giving participants a hypothesis to test improved performance.

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References

1988Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning 1972Human Problem Solving 1989Self-explanations: How students study and use examples in learning to solve problems 1994Eliciting self-explanations improves understanding,1988Dual Space Search During Scientific Reasoning 1984On the Relationship between Task Performance and Associated Verbalizable Knowledge 1997Learning from Worked‐Out Examples: A Study on Individual Differences 1975Knowledge and Cognition

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