Discussion – Problem Solving and Decision Making
The Impact of Human Cognitive Functioning on Problem Solving
Cognitive functioning as a human attribute influences problem-solving, especially whenever people engage with real-life contemporary issues. Also, creativity, brain activation, and lifestyle factors, including sleep, need to be taken into consideration. For instance, sleep deprivation affects cognitive functioning, hence reducing attention, memory, and executive functions, hence reducing problem-solving skills (Srinivas et al., 2021). On the other hand, creativity enhances problem-solving by allowing individuals to approach issues from innovative perspectives. Notably, moderate alcohol consumption can facilitate creative problem-solving by reducing fixation on initial thoughts, thereby promoting more insightful solutions (Vandana & Rai, 2022). In solving word association problems, intoxicated individuals reported higher rates of insight compared to their sober counterparts.
Decision Making and Cognitive Functioning
Decision-making, closely related to problem-solving, involves selecting the best course of action from available options. Theories of decision-making, such as heuristics and deductive reasoning, illustrate how cognitive functioning influences decisions. Heuristics, mental shortcuts used for quick decision-making, often lead to satisfactory outcomes but can sometimes cause errors by overlooking relevant information (Müller et al., 2021). For example, the take-the-best heuristic relies on identifying the most valuable option based on environmental cues, which can be highly effective in familiar contexts. Deductive reasoning, which involves logically deriving conclusions from given premises, can be hindered by negative emotions that impair cognitive function.
Thus, applying heuristics and insight simultaneously may be useful when solving real-world problems, including those that involve creativity. For example, moderate drinking results in a higher rate of creative problem-solving as it helps to induce a relaxed state of mind that would enable the integration of unrelated information to come up with a more creative solution (Moutoussis et al., 2021). This shows the possibility of improving the cognitive aspect of solving modern problems by using a combination of different decision-making approaches.
Conclusion
Concisely, the imbalance of cognitive functioning, problem-solving, and decision-making can guide the study to advance techniques best suited for enhancing human performance in mitigating complex issues. Applying what cognitive psychologists have learned today about creativity and the cogent and judicious use of heuristics can generate better and more creative solutions.
References
Moutoussis, M., Garzón, B., Neufeld, S., Bach, D. R., Rigoli, F., Goodyer, I., Bullmore, E., Guitart-Masip, M., Dolan, R. J., Fonagy, P., Jones, P., Hauser, T., Romero-Garcia, R., St Clair, M., Vértes, P., Whitaker, K., Inkster, B., Prabhu, G., Ooi, C., . . . Kievit, R. (2021). Decision-making ability, psychopathology, and brain connectivity. Neuron, 109(12), 2025-2040.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.019
Müller, S. M., Schiebener, J., Brand, M., & Liebherr, M. (2021). Decision-making, cognitive functions, impulsivity, and media multitasking expectancies in high versus low media multitaskers. Cognitive Processing, 22(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-021-01029-2
Srinivas, N. S., Vimalan, V., Padmanabhan, P., & Gulyás, B. (2021). An overview on cognitive function enhancement through physical exercises. Brain Sciences, 11(10), 1289. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11101289
Vandana, & Rai, K. (2022). Role of life-skills and attitude toward alcohol abuse in predicting academic achievement of school students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 369. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1777_21
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PROPMT: This week, you read about different ways in which problem solving occurs. You also learned how factors (such as creativity, brain activation, or alcohol consumption) influence problem solving. Based on what you have learned, discuss the impact of human cognitive functioning on problem solving when people face real-world contemporary problems. You might look at lifestyle problems (like lack of sleep) or biological issues (like changes in brain activation). Next, consider the role of decision-making on cognitive functioning when faced with real-world problems. Consider how someone might make a decision, using theories of decision making, when faced with the problem you explored. For example, would they use heuristics or deductive reasoning? Discuss the potential outcomes of the real-world problem and the possible decisions in terms of cognitive psychology.
Discussion – Problem Solving and Decision Making
READING RESOURCES:
Textbook: Cognitive Psychology Interactive eBook, Chapters 11 and 12
https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=51f47dab-07d3-402a-83f3-9b9204f8f79c%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=edsbig.A537026679&db=edsbig
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neural-circuits/articles/10.3389/fncir.2019.00018/full
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