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Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
Different cognitive mechanisms used for solving open and closed math problems
Jiaxin Cui1, Shumin Wang1, Liting Lv1
1College of Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Abstract:
Problem-solving skills are very important in our daily life. Almost all problem-solving studies have addressed the cognitive correlates of solving closed problems, but only limited studies have investigated the cognitive mechanisms of solving open problems. The current study aimed to systematically examine differences between the cognitive mechanisms used for solving open and closed problems. In total, the abilities of 142 high school students to solve open and closed problems were assessed, as were a series of general cognitive abilities as controlled variates. Analogical reasoning uniquely contributed to solving both open and closed math problems, after controlling for age, gender, and inductive reasoning. Reactive cognitive flexibility (measured using the Wisconsin card sorting test) and spatial working memory uniquely correlated only with solving open and closed math problems, respectively. These findings suggest that the cognitive processes used to solve open and closed math problems differ. Open and closed math problems appear to require more reactive cognitive flexibility for generation and more memory for retrieval, respectively.
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