problem solving

Meaning: Problem solving is the cognitive process of moving from a starting state to a goal state when the route is not obvious. Common strategies are algorithms (step-by-step procedures, such as a formula, that give a correct answer when carried out correctly but may be slow), heuristics (rules of thumb that are fast but can lead to errors), trial and error, and insight (a sudden realization of the solution).

On the MCAT: A passage describes someone working on a task, and you name the strategy or the obstacle. Obstacles include functional fixedness (seeing an object only in its usual use, as in Duncker's candle problem), mental set (reusing an approach that worked before even when a better one exists), and confirmation bias (favoring evidence that fits an existing belief). Availability and representativeness are the heuristics most often named.

Common confusion: Students mix up mental set and functional fixedness. Mental set concerns a method or approach; functional fixedness concerns the use of an object. Also, a heuristic is the shortcut itself, not the error. It often works well, and the error appears when the shortcut misleads.