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Immediate and sustained effects of planning in a problem-solving task
Peter F Delaney1, K Anders Ericsson, Martin E Knowles
1Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA. delaney@ufl.edu
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|November 4, 2004
Summary
Planning to solve water jug problems enhances learning and memory. Even after planning stops, improved solutions persist, though retroactive interference impacts recall of earlier solutions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Learning and Memory
Background:
- The water jug problem typically elicits minimal planning from participants.
- Understanding how to improve planning and its effects on learning is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if instructing participants to plan water jug problems enhances learning and memory.
- To identify effective planning strategies for complex problems.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted using the water jug task.
- Participants were instructed to plan solutions, with variations in planning requirements and retention intervals.
Main Results:
- Explicit planning instructions led to the development of full solution strategies.
- Experience with planning improved subsequent problem-solving without planning.
- While the most recent solution was recalled after a delay, retroactive interference significantly reduced recall of earlier solutions.
Conclusions:
- Instructing participants to plan improves problem-solving performance and learning.
- Retroactive interference poses a challenge for recalling multiple learned solutions.
- Planning processes, including depth-first strategies, can be influenced by interference.