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Results for “Problem Solving”

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PubMed1980

An observation methodology for the study of interactive clinical problem-solving behavior in primary care settings.

A methodology that is adequate for a generalized description of the interactive problem-solving behavior of client and clinician must accommodate all potential types of clinical issues and client-clinician relationships. It must also be applicable to the behavior of the client as well as that of the clinician. Furthermore, behavior must be analyzable in terms of the phase of problem-solving logic that applies at the time the behavior is observed. The development, specifications, structural factors and procedures of administration of an observational methodology that is based on a 7-phase paradigm of verbal problem-solving behavior are described. Acceptable levels of consistency of coding are achievable using the methodology. Coder agreement over all phase categories was 84.8 per cent. Results of 2-way ANOVA procedures showed that the type of clinical encounter observed affected the proportion of data coded in each of the problem-solving phase categories whereas, on the whole, the identity of the coder did not. The methodology may be articulated with other methods for the study of primary care and has both research and instructional applications.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Comparison of effects of nursing care to problem solving training on levels of depressive symptoms in post partum women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of nursing intervention to the effect of problem solving training on the level of postpartum depressive symptom. METHODS: We utilized a pretest-posttest mutual controlled semi experimental model for this study. The study consisted of 62 women (30 in care group and 32 in training group), all of who were at risk for postpartum depression, but without major depressive symptoms. These women were not undergoing pharmacologic or psychotherapeutic treatment, were all literate and consented to join the study in Erzurum, Turkey. Participants (N=62), recruited over a 9 month, were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Women in care group (average age=21, 33.3% primaparus) were given nursing care for her depressive symptoms. Women in training group (average age=25, 33.9% primaparus) were taught problem solving skills. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were assessed before and after nursing interventions. We found that nursing care was effective women for with depressive symptoms (McNemar test, p<0.001), and problem-solving training was also effective (McNemar test, p<0.05). When the effectiveness of nursing care and the problem solving education was compared utilizing the BDI, it was found out that the nursing care was more effective than education alone (t=4.529, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Results from this study suggest that nursing care and problem solving training may be use confidently in the primary care setting by nurses for women with postpartum depressive symptoms. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Nurses play on important role in its detection and can reduce depressive symptoms. Public health nurses are equipped with care paths addressing specific health needs of depressed women in the primary care setting. Our finding indicate that these two programs of study can converge with meaningful results, and perhaps future research could address these points in a theoretical framework.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Extensions of errorless learning for social problem-solving deficits in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: There is a clear need to develop psychosocial rehabilitation methods that compensate for neurocognitive deficits common to persons with severe and persistent mental illness. Errorless learning, a compensatory training intervention, has been successful in teaching entry-level job tasks. However, errorless learning's applicability to broader, more complex functions is unknown. The present study tested the extension of errorless learning for deficits in social problem-solving skills in patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: Sixty clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were stratified by gender and level of memory impairment before being randomly assigned to one of two training programs: errorless learning or symptom management. Groups were matched for training time, format and structure of training, and types of teaching aids used. Social problem-solving ability, measured by the Assessment of Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills, was assessed at baseline, within 2 days of training completion, and after 3 months. Dependent measures were the scores for the receiving, processing, and sending skills areas from the Assessment of Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills. RESULTS: A repeated-measures analysis of covariance was conducted for each dependent measure with baseline Assessment of Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills score entered as a covariate. For all three skills, there was a significant training group effect favoring errorless learning. Durability of errorless learning training effects extended to the 3-month follow-up assessment for processing and sending skills but not receiving skills. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the extension of errorless learning to complex functions such as social problem-solving skills in the rehabilitation of persons with schizophrenia.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Nonverbal requesting and problem-solving by toddlers with down syndrome.

The association between nonverbal requesting (as measured by the Early Social Communication Scales) and problem-solving skills (as measured by an object retrieval task) was examined in 16 toddlers who had Down syndrome, 18 toddlers with developmental disabilities of mixed etiologies, and 19 typically developing infants and toddlers. Toddlers with Down syndrome showed fewer instrumental requests than did those in the typically developing group, but equal numbers of social routine requests. Toddlers with Down syndrome also showed poorer problem-solving strategies and received more help than children in both comparison groups on the object-retrieval task. Results showed a significant association between instrumental requests and problem-solving in the Down syndrome group. Implications for strengthening problem-solving skills in Down syndrome are discussed.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2001

Mathematical problem solving and working memory in children with learning disabilities: both executive and phonological processes are important.

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the relationship between working memory (WM) and mathematical problem solving in children with learning disabilities (LD). Children with LD (age 11.5 years) were compared to chronologically age-matched (CA-M) and younger comprehension/computation achievement-matched children (age 8.9 years) on measures of verbal and visual-spatial WM, phonological processing, components of problem solving, and word-problem solving accuracy. The results showed that (1) children with LD were inferior on measures of word solution accuracy, components of problem solving, phonological processing, domain-general WM, and verbal WM when compared to children who were CA-M, (2) children with LD were comparable to younger children on all processing measures, except measures of domain-general WM, visual-spatial WM, phonemic deletion, and identifying problem goals, (3) measures of verbal and visual-spatial WM contributed significant variance to solution accuracy independent of phonological processing, and (4) the influence of WM on solution accuracy was mediated by long-term memory (LTM) processes related to the knowledge of algorithms. The results support the notion that information activated from LTM, rather than phonological processing, mediates the relationship between executive processing and solution accuracy in children with LD.

Child↗

PubMed1995

Dimensionality of everyday problem solving in older adults.

This study investigated individual differences in older adults' everyday problem-solving performance using 3 instruments. Past research, typically using only single measures, has yielded a multitude of findings regarding age effects in everyday problem solving. The present sample consisted of 111 older adults (44 men, 67 women) who ranged in age from 68 to 94 years. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that, within each of the 3 instruments, subscales representing particular content domains could be reliably identified. There was, however, little relation between the different instruments, and the measures also differed in their relation with chronological age. These results support the view that everyday problem-solving competence is a multidimensional construct, of which previous investigations may only have studied particular dimensions.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1986

Applied research as a problem-solving tool: strengthening the interface between health management and research.

If applied research is to serve as a tool for solving health care delivery problems in developing countries, researchers and managers must work more closely together. At present, research efforts are often directed toward issues and problems of marginal interest to health managers, and research focused on problems important for health delivery often does not capture the attention of those who could most profitably use its results. This paper examines some reasons for the lack of utilization of research and discusses strategies such as training to promote use of applied research for problem solving, orienting decision makers to applied research, and strengthening the use of research in health services management, with examples drawing on the experience of organizations involved in the development of applied research programs.

Decision Making, Organizational↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Teaching social skills to adults with intellectual disabilities: a comparison of external control and problem-solving interventions.

We compared the effectiveness of a problem-solving and an external control intervention to teach social skills to five adults with mild intellectual disabilities. The social skills of "responding to corrective feedback" and "managing conflict" were targeted for intervention. Each participant received the problem-solving intervention with one social skill and the external control intervention with the other social skill. The comparative effectiveness of the social skills training protocol was evaluated using individual participant alternating treatments designs. Little difference between the intervention protocol was observed in terms of acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of the social skills. Limitations of the current study and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Problem-solving appraisal in the association of life stress and depression: a South African study.

This study focuses on the role that appraisal of problem-solving skills plays in the relationship of stress to distress. 450 black South African university students completed the Life Experiences Survey, the Problem Solving Inventory, and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Multiple regression analysis indicated a direct effect for problem-solving appraisal on depression, but no support could be found for the stress-buffering effects of problem-solving appraisal.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Cross-cultural comparison of interpersonal problem-solving in students with mental retardation.

This study was conducted to investigate the problem-solving performance, style, and cross-cultural differences of students with mild mental retardation representing three cultural backgrounds (African American, European American, and Nigerian). Students listened to vignettes (Edeh Scale of Interpersonal Problem Situations) depicting interpersonal problem situations in which a target person was described as facing a problem situation with a specified goal that needed independent resolution. Significant cultural differences were found in problem-solving performance and in style among the three cultural groups. Overall, Nigerians generated more independent responses than did European Americans and African Americans and European Americans generated more independent responses than did African Americans. Overall, males generated more independent problem-solving responses than did females.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1992

Teaching self-instruction utilizing multiple exemplars to produce generalized problem-solving among individuals with severe mental retardation.

Four residents of a group home who had severe mental retardation were taught to use self-instruction in combination with multiple exemplars to solve task-related problems. The combined strategy was associated with generalization to untrained problems as well as response maintenance of the problem-solving strategy (i.e., responding to multiple exemplars and self-instructing). The use of the strategy was discussed in terms of instructional strategies for teaching self-instruction and areas for future research, including isolating the factors responsible for generalization and identifying the role of language in promoting generalized responding.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2006

Cognitive functioning and everyday problem solving in older adults.

The relationship between cognitive functioning and a performance-based measure of everyday problem-solving, the Everyday Problems Test (EPT), thought to index instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), was examined in 291 community-dwelling non-demented older adults. Performance on the EPT was found to vary according to age, cognitive status, and education. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, after adjusting for demographic and health variables, measures of cognitive functioning accounted for 23.6% of the variance in EPT performance. In particular, measures of global cognitive status, cognitive decline, speed of processing, executive functioning, episodic memory, and verbal ability were significant predictors of EPT performance. These findings suggest that cognitive functioning along with demographic variables are important determinants of everyday problem-solving.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1997

Locus of control and problem-solving interaction in families with adolescents.

The focus of this study is on further development and refinement of a classification system of family problem-solving interaction in families with adolescents. A rigorous qualitative analysis was conducted on the video-taped problem-solving sessions of 38 families which consisted of a father, mother and their adolescent son or daughter. The analysis concentrated on how families engaged the problem situations, how solutions were generated and evaluated, communication patterns, and how affect was managed. It was discovered through the analysis that family problem-solving interaction could be classified based on a concept the researchers call family locus of control (F-LOC). Four types of F-LOC were described: individualistic, collaborative, authoritarian and external. Internal classification reliability was assessed by three independent raters who were able to accurately classify 95% of the problem-solving sessions by F-LOC. Discussion focuses on comparing the classification system with previously developed classification systems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

A randomized clinical trial study on the effectiveness of a tele-analogy-based problem-solving programme for people with acquired brain injury (ABI).

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: The present study reports the results of 103 persons with acquired brain injury who were randomly assigned to one of three 20-session analogy problem-solving skill training groups, namely: online training (through computer video conferencing with interactive software); computer-assisted training (through interactive patient-directed software); therapist administered training (face-to-face therapist guided training activities); and a "no-treatment" control group. RESEARCH DESIGN: Pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design. MAIN OUTCOME AND RESULTS: Individuals' problem-solving skills and self-efficacy in all four groups were assessed over a four-week period. Overall, the training methods were found to be effective in improving problem solving skills regardless of the modes of delivery (except in the case of the control group). The continuous "human touch" characteristics of the therapist-administered group showed significant better improvements in self-efficacy in problem-solving. CONCLUSION: The statistically significantly improvement in problem solving skills in the online-group suggests that this approach could effectively improve cognitive functions of person with ABI and yield training outcomes comparable to other modes of delivery such as the face-to-face training. The conceptualization and applicability of tele-cognitive rehabilitation, its implications for persons with ABI, and future studies in this research area are also discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Intelligence as a correlate of children's problem solving.

Previous work on children's problem solving was extended by directly comparing the strategies of intellectually gifted, average, and mentally retarded children on 2 two-dimensional integration problems--the balance scale and inclined plane. Comparisons of the distributions of strategies for each group showed that most gifted children integrated dimensional information by addition and many average children used lexicographic strategies. Mentally retarded children relied on a single dimension of the balance scale, but they were more likely to use lexicographic strategies for the inclined plane. Possible explanations for the large number of unclassified mentally retarded children were discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Problem-solving types among high-risk IDUs. Potential treatment implications.

This research investigated whether high-risk injection drug users (IDUs) manifest distinct types, or profiles, of interpersonal cognitive problem-solving (ICPS) abilities. Four measures of ICPS, the Means-Ends Problem-Solving procedure (MEPS), Optional Thinking Test (OTT), Awareness of Consequences Test (ACT), and Causal Thinking Test (CTT), were administered to 140 IDUs who volunteered for NIDA Demonstration Projects in Newark and Jersey City, NJ, to study high-risk behaviors in drug users and their sexual partners. At time of initial contact, none of the subjects was currently enrolled in a treatment program. Hierarchical and nonhierachical cluster analyses were used with the MEPS, OTT, ACT, and CTT scores, and five IDU problem-solving types were identified. These types represented below-average, causal, generational, consequential, and above-average problem-solving skills. A rational conceptualization of potential treatment implications for each of these types of IDU problem solvers is discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1997

Problem solving and diabetes regimen adherence by children and adolescents with IDDM in social pressure situations: a reflection of normal development.

Investigated problem-solving ability and reported regimen adherence among children, early adolescents, and middle adolescents with IDDM in response to hypothetical social situations where a choice between diabetes regimen adherence and peer desires must be made. Sixty-seven 8- to 17-year-olds with IDDM from two distinct U.S. geographical areas participated. Results indicated that compared to children with IDDM, adolescents with IDDM had better problem-solving abilities in response to social pressure situations, possibly reflecting their greater cognitive maturity. However, adolescents were also more likely to choose behaviors that are less regimen adherent. Differences in levels of problem-solving ability and adherence between the two regional subsamples were also found. Similar developmental patterns were found in both groups, showing the robust nature of the observed age-related trend of decreasing adherence in social situations despite increasing problem-solving abilities. Findings were interpreted in the context of normal adolescent development. Results are conceptually important for those interested in the transaction between peer and social influences and adherence for children and adolescents with IDDM, as well as other health behaviors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Perceived self-efficacy and everyday problem solving among young and older adults.

This research tested the hypothesis that age differences in both self-efficacy perceptions and problem-solving performance would vary as a function of the ecological relevance of problems to young and older adults. The authors developed novel everyday problem-solving stimuli that were ecologically representative of problems commonly confronted by young adults (young-adult problems), older adults (older adult problems), or both (common problems). Performance on an abstract problem solving task lacking in ecological representativeness (the Tower of Hanoi problem) also was examined. Although young persons had higher self-efficacy beliefs and performance levels on the Tower of Hanoi task problem and the young-adult problems, this pattern reversed in the domain of older adult problems, where the self-efficacy beliefs and performance of older persons exceeded those of the young.

Activities of Daily Living↗