In Luchins' Water Jar Problems, Participants Are Asked to Use

question 272

Multiple Choice

In Luchins' water jar problems, participants are asked to use three jars of differing volumes (A, B, and C) to create various final amounts of water. After the first few trials, participants learn that the same formula (B-A-2C) will provide the answer for each of the first few problems. However, Luchins noticed that people had the tendency to continue using this formula on other problems, even when these problems had simpler solutions (such as A-C) . This particular problem-solving block is called

• A)inadequate framing of the problem
• B)flawed inductive reasoning
• C)a belief bias
• D)a mental set

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Definitions:

Full-capacity Sales

The maximum sales level a company can achieve with its current operational assets without additional investment.

Fixed Assets

Long-term tangible assets, such as buildings, machinery, and equipment, purchased for operational use and not expected to be converted into cash in the short term.

Production Level

The quantity of goods or services that a company produces within a given period, often directly affecting revenues and profitability.

Capital Intensity Ratio

A measure of how much capital is needed in relation to labor to produce a given level of output.