What Problem-Solving Pitfall Was Demonstrated by Luchins' Water Jars in Which

question 39

Multiple Choice

What problem-solving pitfall was demonstrated by Luchins' water jars in which the tendency to stick to solutions that have worked in the past results in less effective problem-solving?

• A) shortcomings of the availability heuristic
• B) shortcomings of the representativeness heuristic
• C) failure to frame a problem correctly
• D) blinding by a mental set

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Definitions:

Superego

In Freudian psychoanalysis, the part of the psyche that acts as a moral center, incorporating the values and norms of society and acting as a counterbalance to the id.

Extinction Processes

In behavioral psychology, the gradual reduction and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response following the cessation of reinforcement.

Observational Learning

A learning process through which behaviors are acquired by watching and imitating others.

Attentional Processes

The mental activities involved in focusing on specific stimuli while ignoring others, and the mechanisms by which individuals select information for processing.