Cognitive process of finding solutions to novel or difficult problems. It involves identifying goals, generating strategies, and evaluating outcomes. - Problem Types - Well-defined - clear goals, operators, and solution criteria - Ill-defined - ambiguous goals or multiple valid solutions - Insight problems - sudden realization of solution - Analytical problems - step-by-step reasoning - Problem-Solving Strategies - Algorithms - systematic, exhaustive procedures - Heuristics - mental shortcuts and rules of thumb - Means-ends analysis - reducing difference between current and goal state - Working backward - starting from goal and reasoning to current state - Analogical reasoning - applying solutions from similar problems - Obstacles - Functional fixedness - difficulty seeing novel uses for objects - Mental set - relying on familiar strategies that may not work - Confirmation bias - seeking evidence that confirms existing beliefs - Related Topics - [[Decision-Making]] - choosing among alternatives - [[Cognitive Psychology]] - mental processes - [[Reasoning]] - logical inference and deduction - [[Creativity]] - generating novel solutions