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Flashcards in Problem 3 Deck (46)
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1
Q

What is design thinking ?

A
  1. It is a methodology for generating innovation
  2. Begins with developing an understanding of the users need + behaviors by observing them in their natural environments

–> explores possible solutions for improving the user experience

2
Q

What are cognitive traps?

Which ones may be possibly encountered in the process of innovative thinking ?

A

Cognitive traps can hinder observation + interfere with understanding the users experience

  1. Top down processing
  2. Encoding failures
  3. Inattentional blindness
  4. Conformation bias
  5. Fundamental attribution error
  6. Sunk cost trap
3
Q

Top down processing

A

Refers to a tendency to draw conclusions early based on experience + expectations rather than waiting for direct observation

–> may lead to encoding failures

4
Q

Encoding failures

A

Refer to instances where apparently unimportant details are simply not captured/missed

–> due to fact that brain usually focus on the core of a situation to maximize efficiency

5
Q

Inattentional blindness

A

Failing to see things in plain sight because the attention is directed elsewhere

6
Q

Conformation bias

A

Refers to a manifestation of preexisting beliefs or preferences, which cloud the information collection process

7
Q

How can we overcome these cognitive traps ?

A

By using metacognition, meaning the ability to think about our own cognitive processes

–> this ability to notice when we are slipping into cognitive traps and employ effective countermeasures.

8
Q

Mental sets can make it easy so solve a particular class of problems, but attachment to the wrong ones can inhibit creativity.

How can such fixation be combatted ?

A
  1. Reframing, meaning rethinking the problem
  2. Assume an alternative identity, meaning imagining how others might face the challenge
  3. Avoiding to invest too heavily in a single idea but keeping multiple
  4. Taking notes of feedback for later processing
  5. Attention to cognitive traps
9
Q

Fundamental attribution error

A

Refers to the tendency to rationalize our own failures as being due to external circumstances

10
Q

Sunk cost trap

A

Refers to a situation when learning + adaptation become constrained by a heavy emotional investment in the initial idea

11
Q

Creative cognition approach

A

Suggests that the acquisition of different knowledge systems is precursory to the generation of creative ideas

–> helps overcome cognitive fixedness

12
Q

Similarity processing mindest

A

Refers to a process by which individuals focus on the similarities between the comparison target and the standard

  • indicates target-standard similarity
    ex. : foreign culture vs local culture
13
Q

Dissimilarity processing mindset

A

Refers to a process by which individuals focus on the dissimilarities between the comparison target + the standard

–> indicates target-standard contrast

14
Q

Creativity is enhanced when you adopt the … mindset. Why is that ?

A

Dissimilarity

–> when being exposed to dual cultural primes with higher levels of cultural distance one will automatically be inclined to adopt a difference mindset, as opposed to when the two contrasting cultures aren’t that different from each other but rather similar

15
Q

Incubation period

A

Refers to the temporary shift away from an unsolved problem that allows a solution to emerge seemingly as if from no additional effort

16
Q

What are the 4 phases in problem solving ?

A
  1. Preparation
  2. Incubation
  3. Illumination
  4. Verification
17
Q

Conscious-work hypothesis

(Incubation)

A

States that incubation effects are due to issues such as reduction of mental fatigue + additional covert problem solving during incubation period

18
Q

Unconscious-work hypothesis

(Incubation)

A

Suggests that positive incubation effects are the result of gradual + unconscious problem solving processes that occur during incubation period

19
Q

What are the 3 unconscious processes that have been proposed to account for incubation effects ?

A
  1. Eliciting new knowledge
    * Activation will spread towards previously ignored but relevant memory items
  2. Selective forgetting
    * IP will weaken the activation of inappropriate solution concepts that distract from the relevant ones
  3. Problem restructuring
    * the individuals mental representation of a problem will be reorganized
20
Q

What facilitates postincubation problem solving/positive incubation effects ?

A
  1. A certain level of involvement in other tasks during the incubation period
  2. A long incubation period
  3. A better memory for failed problems

–> failure in general

  1. Fixation on misleading information before incubation period
21
Q

What are the cross cultural differences when it comes to creativity ?

A

Westerners are more creative, whereas easterners are better at deductive reasoning

22
Q

Why are easterners less creative than westerners ?

A
  1. Collectivistic culture
  2. Eastern societies put more emphasis on social roles + education
  3. Prefer to apply intuitive reasoning when problem solving
  4. Put emphasis on mimicking existing abilities with the aim to refine them
23
Q

Deductive reasoning

A

Requires the use of conscious intent to develop logically justifiable conclusions from a set of premises provided

–> top-down reasoning

24
Q

Intuitive reasoning

A

Refers to experience based reasoning, where one overlooks rules + logic when at odds with intuition

25
Q

Formal reasoning

A

Refers to rule based reasoning which emphasizes logical inference and overlooks sense experience when conflicted with rules + logic

26
Q

Creativity

A

Refers to the ability to create something that is judged by a group of experts in a certain field as both original + worthwhile

–> it is a product of culture that’d be meaningless without the judgments of others

27
Q

How do western societies foster creativity ?

A
  1. Being individualistic, because one has to stand out from the group in order to be unique
  2. Apply formal reasoning
28
Q

Creativity requires …

A
  1. Skills
  2. Dispositions (Attitudes)
    * intrinsic motivation
  3. Translations into action
  4. Overcoming misconceptions
    * e.g.: brainstorming, relaxation
29
Q

Insights

A

Experience of suddenly realizing how to solve a problem

–> incubation can be involved but doesn’t always have the needed effect

30
Q

Well defined problems

A
  1. Refer to problems where all aspects of it are clearly specified
  2. Most commonly used in research as an optimal strategy can easily be identified

–> Initial goal, methods available

ex.: maze, chess

31
Q

Ill defined problems

A

Refer to problems where the definition of it is underspecified

–> goal etc are unclear

ex.: keys locked in a car, most everyday problems

32
Q

Knowledge rich problems

A

Can only be saved with considerable amounts of prior knowledge

33
Q

Knowledge lean problems

A

Can be solved without prior knowledge as necessary info is provided by a problem statement

34
Q

Which aspects influence problem solving ?

A
  1. Past experience
    a) Functional fixedness
    b) Einstellung
  2. Incubation
  3. Expertise
    a) Chunking
    b) Template Theory
    c) Routine + Adaptive expertise
35
Q

Functional fixedness

A

Failing to solve a problem because we assume from past experience that any given object has a limited number of uses

–> e.g.: getting stuck on a problem

36
Q

Einstellung

A

Refers to a mental set in which people use a familiar strategy even where there is a simpler alternative

–> if it doesn’t work one thinks the problem cannot be solved using it

37
Q

Chunking theory

A

Memory chunks contain more info + more chunks can be used

38
Q

Template theory

A

Chunks that are used frequently develop into more complex data structures

–> using few large templates that are more general rather than a large number of chunks

39
Q

Routine expertise

A

Refers to using acquired knowledge to solve familiar problems efficiently

40
Q

Adaptive Expertise

A

Refers to using acquired knowledge to develop strategies for dealing with novel problems

41
Q

Trial and error learning

A

Producing fairly random responses rather than actively using a specific train of thought

–> thereby finding the solution

42
Q

Reproductive thinking

A

Refers to the re-use of previous experiences to solve a current problem

43
Q

Productive thinking

A

Solving a problem by developing an understanding of the problems underlying structure

–> Gestalt approach

44
Q

Problem Space

A

Refers to the entire range of components that exist in the process of finding a solution to a problem

45
Q

Means ends analysis

A

Refers to a heuristic method based on creating a sub goal to reduce the difference between the current + goal state

–> used to solve problems

46
Q

Hill climbing

A

Changing the present state of a problem, by choosing the option that will get you apparently closer to the goal

  • making short term goals, and focusing on these

–> simpler than means ends, therefore used in problem solving