Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents
Published on: July 8, 2015
Mental search processes in problem solving
1Department of Psychology, Kansas State University, 66506, Manhattan, Kansas.
Abstract:
A new approach to problem solving was applied to multisolution problems in a memory search task. Subjects memorized a list of eight four-letter foods, and then searched mentally through the list for answers to questions. The times between successive answers (IRTs) were recorded along with the answers themselves. This allowed a comparison of two possible memory search strategies: (1) sampling with replacement, and (2) sampling without replacement. The results were largely in agreement with the sampling-without-replacement strategy. However, a more detailed breakdown of the data revealed that most subjects searched through the list in a rigid serial order. Further, an analysis of questions with identical answers showed that the IRTs were very nearly additive. This led to an additive time component model based on the independent summation of (a) read-in time, (b) memory-search time, (c) decision-making time, and (d)response-output time. This approach appeared generally more satisfactory than previous attempts to account for problem-solving behavior.
More Related Videos
07:01Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
06:50The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment
Published on: December 29, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Problem-Solving
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Heuristics
People often rely on heuristics when faced with an overload of information, limited time, low importance of the decision, limited information, or when a heuristic readily comes to mind. For...
Information Processing Approach
Implicit Memories
One key aspect of implicit...
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness