Do We Problem Solve or React to World Events?

Problem solving is a much discussed topic but little employed in ordinary life or in regards to training children on how to problem solve as a daily experience. We typically educate children with what to think and why, this is what we call rote education. The future will require all of us to learn problem solving as a means to deal with problems rather than becoming embroiled in conflict as we were ill equipped to look into the real reasons behind the conflict. What is interesting about violent conflict is each side has a story and they repeat that story infinitem until it is believed as a truth. I hear people say they use violence to teach the other a lesson, but in truth all they teach is violence and the other learns that. Those who impose sentences or punishments only teach others to not get caught, they do not teach how to behave in ways that enhance a persons potential and contribution to society. In the revenge or pay back models at the root people will say they wish to teach a lesson. To teach real lessons we must have the best interests of both parties in mind, to have the courage to explore both sides of conflict and be prepared to speak and hear truth from a range of perspectives. It is this part that is often the most challenging. The challenging of people’s deeply held beliefs. These beliefs form what I call ‘scaffolding’ to the structure of their world. They will defend the ramparts, they will protect and justify violence, for they feel they must be right. If they are proved wrong, somehow they are seen as lesser or weaker or their dignity is affronted as they have identified with a persona that is not true. It is in this type of thinking that conflict continues and is never faced. Until we have the intent or willingness to solve problems and be prepared to be wrong, we will never truly face the conflicts of our world, which in truth are conflicts within ourselves. We will defend to the death beliefs that are passed on and unquestioned. For those of a religious standing, my only thought would be that god is love. Love does not kill or maim or suppress others as unequal, it solves the problem and asks ‘what would love do next’. The only goal is unity. This is living the spirituality many say they believe in, we have to act on what we know in our hearts not our heads, and then we will find clarity and peace. To use religious doctrine to harm others physically or emotionally is clearly seen in division (them and us) which is not unity (we are one). Thus, until we question any negative thoughts that divide us, we will remain locked into conflict which drains resources, energy and loss of life. Perhaps there are other ways.

Courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_solving#Problem-solving_techniques

Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Considered the most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills.[1] Problem solving occurs when an organism or an artificial intelligence system needs to move from a given state to a desired goal state.

The nature of human problem solving methods has been studied by psychologists over the past hundred years. There are several methods of studying problem solving, including; introspection, behaviorism, simulation, computer modeling and experiment.

Beginning with the early experimental work of the Gestaltists in Germany (e.g. Duncker, 1935 [2]), and continuing through the 1960s and early 1970s, research on problem solving typically conducted relatively simple, laboratory tasks (e.g. Duncker’s “X-ray” problem; Ewert & Lambert’s 1932 “disk” problem, later known as Tower of Hanoi) that appeared novel to participants (e.g. Mayer, 1992 [3]). Various reasons account for the choice of simple novel tasks: they had clearly defined optimal solutions, they were solvable within a relatively short time frame, researchers could trace participants’ problem-solving steps, and so on. The researchers made the underlying assumption, of course, that simple tasks such as the Tower of Hanoi captured the main properties of “real world” problems, and that the cognitive processes underlying participants’ attempts to solve simple problems were representative of the processes engaged in when solving “real world” problems. Thus researchers used simple problems for reasons of convenience, and thought generalizations to more complex problems would become possible. Perhaps the best-known and most impressive example of this line of research remains the work by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon [4].

Simple laboratory-based tasks can be useful in explicating the steps of logic and reasoning that underlie problem solving; however, they omit the complexity and emotional valence of “real-world” problems. In clinical psychology, researchers have focused on the role of emotions in problem solving (D’Zurilla & Goldfried, 1971; D’Zurilla & Nezu, 1982), demonstrating that poor emotional control can disrupt focus on the target task and impede problem resolution (Rath, Langenbahn, Simon, Sherr, & Diller, 2004). In this conceptualization, human problem solving consists of two related processes: problem orientation, the motivational/attitudinal/affective approach to problematic situations and problem-solving skills, the actual cognitive-behavioral steps, which, if successfully implemented, lead to effective problem resolution. Working with individuals with frontal lobe injuries, neuropsychologists have discovered that deficits in emotional control and reasoning can be remediated, improving the capacity of injured persons to resolve everyday problems successfully (Rath, Simon, Langenbahn, Sherr, & Diller, 2003).

In 2011, the problems that remained in the problem solving method mentioned above were solved creatively by the ‘Method of Creating Wisdom from Knowledge’ (by Dr. M. Esaki, Japan). In order for it to be contributed to the world, it was made public on the Web through the URL below in 2011. In this methodology, problems are switched to tasks and the problems become one of the conditions for realizing the tasks. By realizing the tasks a broader aspect on problem solving can be attained. In some cases, the problem itself may disappear. Moreover, conventional problem solving methods can further create new problems. This is due to the hit-and-miss process. To prevent this kind of problem generation, the Method for Creating Wisdom from Knowledge (M. Esaki, Japan） was developed.

Problem-solving techniques

* Abstraction: solving the problem in a model of the system before applying it to the real system
* Analogy: using a solution that solved an analogous problem
* Brainstorming: (especially among groups of people) suggesting a large number of solutions or ideas and combining and developing them until an optimum is found
* Divide and conquer: breaking down a large, complex problem into smaller, solvable problems
* Hypothesis testing: assuming a possible explanation to the problem and trying to prove (or, in some contexts, disprove) the assumption
* Lateral thinking: approaching solutions indirectly and creatively
* Means-ends analysis: choosing an action at each step to move closer to the goal
* Method of focal objects: synthesizing seemingly non-matching characteristics of different objects into something new
* Morphological analysis: assessing the output and interactions of an entire system
* Reduction: transforming the problem into another problem for which solutions exist
* Research: employing existing ideas or adapting existing solutions to similar problems
* Root cause analysis: eliminating the cause of the problem
* Trial-and-error: testing possible solutions until the right one is found
* Proof: try to prove that the problem cannot be solved. The point where the proof fails will be the starting point for solving it

“A solution, to be a solution, must share some of the problems characteristics.” Richard L Kempe
[edit] Problem-solving methodologies

* Eight Disciplines Problem Solving
* GROW model
* How to solve it
* Kepner-Tregoe
* PDCA
* Productive Thinking Model
* RPR Problem Diagnosis
* TRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch, “theory of solving inventor’s problems”)
* Problem solving by wisdom (M. Esaki, 2011)

These can be accessed at wikipedia.

I would like to add a few more problem solving techniques:

The Work by Byron Katie questioning unquestioned beliefs www.thework.com

Conflict Resolution – see Conflict Resolution Network http://www.crnhq.org/ (free materials there)

Edward De Bono http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/6hats.htm

To look at problems laterally gives insights outside of right and wrong thinking. When we are locked into positions, we will not move and the pain grows. We must start to think in a different way if we wish to see a new world emerge that is in harmony. The first place we start is with ourselves. You will laugh when you realise how wrong you have been. I laugh all the time.