Metacognitive knowledge about problem-solving methods

The effective application of a problem-solving method requires the knowledge of what task is relevant, what the abilities involved are and how much effort is needed. However, as yet too little is known about these metacognitive representations.

This study was aimed at describing beliefs about problem-solving methods and at assessing whether they vary according to the kind of method and of problem and are modified by psychological courses attended.

Forty-six Italian undergraduates in psychology and 37 in non-psychological disciplines.

Participants had to rate how frequently each of five problem-solving methods (free production, analogy, step-by-step analysis, visualisation and combining) is employed and how effective and easy each one is to apply. Ratings were requested for interpersonal, practical and study problems. Participants were also asked to identify which abilities they thought would be involved in each method.

According to students' ratings, the most frequently used problem-solving method was analogy, which was also considered the easiest method to apply, whereas step-by-step analysis and combining were considered the most difficult. Problem-solving techniques were perceived as being relevant above all for practical problems, whereas they were conceived as less suitable for interpersonal problems. For study problems the most relevant strategy was step-by-step analysis. Students were aware of the abilities relevant to each problem-solving method.

Undergraduates both in psychology and non-psychological disciplines can identify some critical features in the methods used to solve problems, even though some misconceptions emerged. Since metacognition plays a causal role in problem-solving, trainers should take into account trainees' folk representations of problem-solving strategies.