- Thus we need to be aware of this

tendency and ask ourselves,

What else is there to know, or where can I get more information.
Not Weighing Consequences - a solution or decision that we really
like and we will commit and jump in before we consider how that
solution or decision will impact our lives.

Taking to time to recognize our obstacles will help us to be better

problem solvers and make better decisions.

Developmental changes in Problem Solving

Early Childhood (0 8)
o Rule assessment approach
Focuses on childrens increasing ability to effectively use rules to solve
problems as they get older.
(E.g. rule of color)
Drawbacks that prevent young children from solving many problems
effectively:
poor or lack of planning
Preschool children often have difficulty inhibiting an ongoing behavior,
especially if it is enjoyable.
Even though the young children may know a rule they fail to use it.
Adolescents (12 18)
Older children and adolescents become better problem solvers than young
children involve knowledge and strategies.
Adolescents are more likely than young children to have effective strategies
that help them solve problems.
They have an increased capacity to monitor and manage their resources to
effectively meet the demands of a problem solving task.
Adolescents also are better than children at screening out information
irrelevant to solving a problem.

 Late adulthood (old age)

Intellectual changes in late adulthood do not always result in reduction of

ability. While fluid intelligence does decline in later years, crystallized
intelligence has been shown to rise slightly over the entire life span.

Fluid intelligence - the ability to see and to use patterns and relationships to
solve problems
crystallized intelligence - the ability to use accumulated information to solve
problems and make decisions