| A | B |
|---|
| Well-defined problem | A problem with clear specifications of the start state |
| ill-defined problem | A problem lacking clear specification of the start state, goal state, or the processes for reaching the goal state. |
| Fixation | Inability to "tink outside the box" and create a new interpretation of a problem |
| Functional Fixedness | the inability to see that an object can have a function other than its typical one. |
| Mental set | The tendency to use previously successful solution strategies without considering others that are more appropriate for the current problem |
| Insight | A new way to interpret a problem that immediately gives the solution |
| Algorithm | A step-by-step procedure that guarantees a correct answer to a problem |
| Heuristic | A problemsolving strategy that seems reasonable given one's past experience with solving problems, especially similar problems, but does not guarantee a correct answer to a problem |
| Anchoring an d adjustment heuristic | A heuristic for estimation problems in which one uses his or her initial estimates as an anchor estimate and then adjst the anchor up or down |
| Working backword heuristic | A problem-solving heuristic in which one attempts to solve a problem by working from the goal state back to the start state |
| Means-end analysis heuristic | A problem-solving heuristic in which the distance to the goal state is decreased systematically by breaking the problem down into subgoals and achieving these subgoals |
| Representativeness heuristic | A rule of thumb for judging the probability of membership in a category by how well an object resembles that category |
| Conjunction fallacy | Incorrently judging the overlap of two uncertain events to be more likely than either of the two events |
| Gambler's fallacy | The erroneous belief that a chance process is self-correcting in that an event that has not occured for a while is more likely to occur |
| Availability heuristic | The rule of thumb that the more available an event is in our memory, the more probable it is. |
| Confirmation bias | The tendency to seek evidence that confirms one's beliefs |
