Irrelevant Information

In the discussion of problem solving, it was evident that there were many barriers that effect the way people solve problems. To me the one that effect decision-making the most was irrelevant information. Irrelevant information is information that is placed in a problem set that leads people astray from the correct answer. The most common occurrence of irrelevant information is in the workforce or in school. most of the time during testing, there are various unnecessary hints to the problem that is used to test a persons knowledge. For example, a teacher asks her class, if two sports cars are traveling to Los Angeles from Las Vegas at 70mph and 50 mph and one leaves 10 minutes earlier than the other, which car will get there first when they meet together? In this scenario the irrelevant information is the mph, where there traveling, and the time they leave because if they meet they will get there at the same time. That information tends to make people mathematically think about how to solve the problem, when in reality the answer is in plain sight. This is just one of the many scenarios that explain irrelevant information.

-Isiah Pringle

Problem Solving

Problem Solving is a very common theme not only in the psychology world, but also in everyday life. From the time you open your eyes in the morning to the time you close them at night, wether you know it or not, you're solving problems. For example, getting up at a specific time and going threw with your daily morning regimen, is solving problems such as not being late for classes or work, preventing cavities and bad breathe, and keeping your body clean. Although, this is mostly subconscious problem solving, they still follow the 4 steps. (1) understanding the problem, (2) devising a plan, (3) carrying out the plan, and (4) looking back. The same steps used to solve much larger problems such as rebuilding the city of New Orleans or fixing the oil spill problem in the Gulf Coast. In my opinion, the understand of problems and problem solving is a topics in which has the greatest amount of relevance and importance to not only us as individuals, but us as a country, and us as a world. It simply put, allows us to keep the the world in a homestatic balance.

-Isiah Pringle

Algorithms and Heuristics

After discussing the concept of algorithms and heuristics in class, it made me think about my own methods for solving problems in my everyday life. Most of the time, I find that I think the most clearly and come up with a plausible solution when I do not follow a strict schedule or method. I don't usually find a shortcut that accomplishes what I want to do in the way I want to do it, which means that I don't use the method of heuristics to solve problems. However, as I stated before, I don't follow a set schedule to accomplish my tasks, which eliminates algorithms. I know that everyone uses both at some point in their lives, for one reason or another, but for accomplishing everyday tasks, neither concept applies to me. There are some people who must live by a strict schedule, and there are those who simply try to find the easiest method to solve the problem, and don't care about the results. I don't think it's healthy to live one way or the other, but in the middle. I think that by using both methods to solve problems, people will be able to use reason more efficiently and comprehend situations more clearly.

Overconfidence

The other day in class we talked about overconfidence. Overconfidence can be a bad thing as in the case of the Boston Red Sox during game seven of the Ameriacan League Championship Series. Both starting pitcher Pedro Martinez and manager Grady Little fell to overconfidence and eventually lost what could be considered to be the most important game of their lives. Pedro told his manager that he was not tired and was overconfident in his ability to get the opposing Yankee batters out. Grady Little showed overconfidence in his pitcher and allowed for him to stay in the game instead of making a move to the bullpen which could have won them the game. Pedro gave up a couple of hits and gave up the tying run. The game was eventually lost in extra innings. Their overconfidence led to the greatest defeats of both their careers. As a player it is good to be overconfident in yourself because it makes you a great competitor. In the case of the manager, it is bad to be overconfident because it is his duty to make decisions that put emotions aside and give his team the best chance to win the game.

Common Sense

Today in class, we were asked about our perception of common sense. What is common sense to us? I immediately thought of common sense as basic knowledge that is widely known, something that is simple. However, as people continued to answer, I began to realize that what I believe is common sense may not be so simple to someone else. Some people believe that directions and routes are easy to follow, but others find those things difficult. Some would claim that cooking and following recipes are common sense, but often others find it difficult to be in the kitchen. Common sense can mean different things to different people because we all have distinct qualities that we excel at or struggle with.

Repressed Memory

Repressed memory, or motivated forgetfulness has no direct or empirical evidence. Most psychologists don't believe in it because of the lack of evidence. However, I believe it is difficult to perform studies for this evidence, and I do believe in it. Many people face abuse or other types of trauma that they want to forget and put in the back of their minds. This may come out at times later in life in a dangerous position though. Although these memories may be repressed, they are still present. Someone may have the strength to put the memory of past abuse in the back of the head but they never forget, and at a certain point these memories may come out in an emotional state. I do believe it is almost impossible to do studies in this area however, because I believe if someone represses a memory they would be reluctant to do a study, or the study may not be as accurate as possible to come up with results.

Overconfidence

One of the biggest barriers to problem solving is overconfidence. People can be overconfident about facts they know, or overconfident about their future. Confidence itself usually isn't a bad thing. It is good to go into a game or an exam with confidence, but you never want to be too confident. Overconfidence often times leads to a lack of preparation or focus. If one of the best teams in the league plays one of the worst in the league and they are overconfident there could be problems. They might not go into the game focused, and could find themselves behind early. Many times when two friends argue about something small, they both are 100% sure in their head they are right. When someone is so overconfident it could affect the problem solving process and be detrimental. Although confidence is always a good thing, it easy to be overconfident, and that is something that should be avoided.

The Systematic Approach

In class we discussed the importance of a systematic approach to problem solving. This approach allows us to determine the facts from fiction in which we constantly use in our everyday lives.This made me think about how I use this daily, mostly during school. In order to manage my schedule and school work I have to first understand the problem, what work I have to do, and when it is due. Then, I have to devise a plan. I have to determine the amount of time I need to devote to which subjects and when. After I carry out the plan and get my results, I look back to figure out if the approach that I used worked. This is a constant cycle that students use each day without being fully aware of it.

Dreams

The book talks about the human experience of dreams, and the frequency of adults to have a pattern of dreams that reflect their lives. No one really knows the purpose of dreams, but still, the concept interests me. It makes me wonder what my dreams mean. Most of mine don't follow any particular pattern, as stated in the book. I have had dreams about a few things on the chart, but I can't understand how they reflect my life and my supposed "internal struggle"; the conflicts in my life are not relevant to most of the types of dreams listed. I am really fascinated by this, and it makes me wonder the purpose of my weird dreams. It makes me wonder if subconsciously, there's something going on within myself that I'm not aware of, and makes me wonder if I'll ever be able to fully understand the nature of my dreams.

Memory in Baseball

In the game of baseball it is very easy to get frustrated because of the insurmountable amounts of times a person fails in proportion to the amount of times they succeed. It is said that being forgetful, or having a short term memory is necessary in being able to be successful. After a game you may be stuck thinking of how poorly you looked at the plate during the game. You may have struck out three times, hit a seeing eye single and another bloop single and you feel like you had the worse game of your life. This is usually short term memory and as time passes, you begin to realize that you went two for five, a batting average that is very difficult to achieve and over the course of history only a few athletes have been able to achieve it. As days pass, and you play more games, you begin to realize that earlier in the week you had a two hit game and you forget how you got on base the two times. The better players are the ones that are able to forget more quickly their mistakes and shortcomings. This relates to class today because it is like studying for tests. If you study for something first, then another test after it, you will retain the information from what you study second better than what you studied first. This is like baseball as if you have a bad day one day, you forget about that day after your next game.

Flashbulb Memories

Today we began the class by discussing flashbulb memories and how these memories about certain situations can change over a long period of time. This made me think of the attacks on September 11, 2001. I remember this was the year I first started at a new school in the fifth grade. While I was in religion class an announcement went around to the teachers that there were attacks on the twin towers and the pentagon and the class prayed together. Shortly after we had a break and we crowded into the cafeteria where there was a TV displaying the news. I remember watching the TV as the towers were crashing and burning. My mom came to my school that day to pick me up early; she wanted to be with me during such a scary time. I remember the event so vividly, I was so sure thats how the event occurred during that day. But after learning about such memories today, I started to wonder how much of it is correct and how much became distorted over time.