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PubMed1987

Problem solving ability in aging and dementia: normative data on a non-verbal test.

A non-verbal problem solving task, viz. a simplified version of Shallice's London Towers Test, was given to 131 normal subjects to obtain normative data relating to age, education and sex. The test was built up in its easiest possible feature in order to be administrable also to demented patients, therefore possibly becoming part of the neuropsychological diagnostic procedures of the demential syndromes. Although this version of the test proved to be very easy and therefore likely to yield a statistically treatable wide distribution of scores in demented patients, the age-related decline of performance in normals was apparent. Education and sex showed no significant influence on the test-performance. With correction of the raw scores for age and with knowledge of the distribution of scores in the normal population, this test is now ready to assess the normality of the scores of a new subject according to his age, giving information on this otherwise still uncovered sector of cognitive abilities.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Ability to solve problems, professionalism, management, empathy, and working capacity in occupational therapy--the professional self description form.

The majority of occupational therapists in Sweden previously worked on large occupational therapy wards. Health care policy has changed over the years and the system has been reorganized accordingly. The employment situation for occupational therapists has also changed. This paper focuses on the perception of professional self among occupational therapists. The objective was to explore the professional self and to suggest components important to the occupational therapist profession. The Professional Self Description Form (PSDF) was used for the exploration of self. The 19 items in the PSDF cover areas relevant to professional functioning and activity. Sixty-eight employed occupational therapists participated. The results of the PSDF were subjected to factor analysis and five factors were obtained; Ability to solve problems, Professionalism, Management, Empathy, and Working capacity. We believe that these five factors can function as improving domains of the role of the professional occupational therapist in Sweden.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Chinese version of the Assessment of Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills.

The study consisted of three phases. In the first phase, we translated the Assessment of Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills (AIPSS) from English to Chinese (CAIPSS), studied the Chinese version's cultural relevance and re-edited the film. A qualified translator translated the package from English to Chinese. Another independent qualified translator backward-translated the materials. An expert panel with 14 experienced clinicians was formed to assess the cultural relevancy of the package. All of them stated that the Chinese version was more culturally relevant. Given the preceding, a culturally relevant CAIPSS was finally developed for use by Hong Kong clinicians. The second phase was to evaluate the reliability of the CAIPSS. Some 30 participants (16 males, 14 females) with schizophrenia were recruited for this study. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability were studied. Results indicated good to excellent internal consistency, excellent inter-rater reliability, and good test-retest reliability. The third phase was the study of convergent validity with another group of 30 participants (13 males, 17 females) with schizophrenia. Results show that CAIPSS had good convergent validity with scales measuring similar constructs. To conclude, this assessment package is user-friendly with good psychometric properties. Local clinicians should feel comfortable using it as an integral part of their daily practice to examine their client's social skills.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Curriculum development in pharmacotherapy: testing the ability of preclinical medical students to learn therapeutic problem solving in a randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: To determine whether preclinical medical students are able to learn therapeutic problem solving simultaneously with gaining knowledge of pharmacology. METHODS: A randomized controlled pre/post-test study among 85 3rd year preclinical medical students from two medical faculties in Amsterdam. In addition to the normal curriculum, the study group followed a course, which was a copy of the obligatory training in cognitive therapeutic skills for 5th year students who had gained knowledge first, followed by applying the knowledge. Before, immediately after and 9 months after the training both the study group and a control group took a test (T0, T1, T2). The level of knowledge and cognitive therapeutic skills were assessed. As a reference, 38 5th year students also took the tests. RESULTS: On T0 the levels of cognitive therapeutic skills of the study and control groups were similar (26.7% and 27.4% of the required level for graduation, respectively). On T1 and T2, the study group scored significantly higher compared with the control group: 46.0/36.7% and 41.3/36.3%, respectively (P<0.05). In comparison with T0, the scores of the study group on T1 increased significantly and showed no significant decline on T2. There were no differences between the groups with respect to the level of knowledge in any of the three tests. The level of cognitive therapeutic skills in the 5th year reference group increased slightly but not significantly from 40.3% to 44.5% after the training; the level of knowledge increased significantly from 48.8% to 68.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Preclinical medical students are able to learn cognitive therapeutic skills simultaneously with gaining knowledge of pharmacology.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Problem-solving capacity for vitreoretinal diseases in a university health center.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the tertiary care delivered to patients with vitreoretinal diseases in a defined urban population; to substantiate the planning and allocation of resources in order to improve the tertiary eye care delivery system in a specific area. METHODS: Data were collected from consecutive first-time patients between June 1, 2003 and July 31, 2004 in the Department of Ophthalmology, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. Problem-solving capacity values were calculated for vitreoretinal surgery and photocoagulation. Data were entered into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 10.0). RESULTS: Of the 7500 patients referred to the Department, 641 were deemed suitable for analysis. The diagnoses analyzed were retinal detachment (26.0%), diabetic retinopathy (21.0%), and vitreous hemorrhage (7.7%). The median ages were 52, 59 and 57.5, respectively. Of all patients referred for retinal detachment, 26.5% were inoperable. The values obtained for the problem-solving capacity (PSC) showed that 38.1%, 33.0% and 93.5% of those eligible for an ophthalmic intervention (for retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage and diabetic retinopathy) had obtained treatment. The main reason for not giving treatment was the unavailability of operating room time and photocoagulation time (87.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study of tertiary eye care service performance in Latin America. Sight-threatening conditions such as retinal detachment and diabetic retinopathy are not thoroughly covered by the health system in this area. Various ways to reduce the problem are considered. The study has provided valuable information on planning high-complexity eye services in the population in question.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The structure of problem solving in simulations.

This study was a secondary analysis of an existing data set. The purpose was to explore the problem-solving cognitive structure that nurse practitioners (NPs) used in their assessment and management of a patient with acute pneumonia superimposed over chronic bronchitis, as measured by a patient management problem with 296 items. Results of a factor analysis suggested that the activity of patient education was different from assessment and medical management functions. A discriminant analysis was used to explore which variables correlated with high and low performance on the simulation. Laboratory proficiency scores were the first, patient education management the second best discriminating variables. Routes through the simulation were labeled typical, suggesting the usual sequence of history, physical, laboratory tests, and management, and atypical, suggesting variations on this route. The typical group performed significantly better than the atypical group. At the end of each section within the simulations, subjects were asked to list potential problems and possible medical diagnosis. Subjects were able, with a minimal amount of data, to list correct problems and diagnosis and appeared to proceed through the simulation attempting to confirm or deny those hunches. These findings support the concept that there appears to be a nursing focus within NPs' performance on a clinical simulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Psychology of computer use: X. Effect of learning Logo on children's problem-solving skills.

A natural experiment was used to determine whether learning the computer language Logo improves children's problem-solving strategies outside of the Logo context. 8-yr.-olds who learned Logo in school were found to use both debugging techniques and procedurality in their computer programming. They and a group of control children of the same age were pre- and posttested on a game requiring debugging skills (Mastermind) and another game requiring procedural skills (Tower of Hanoi). Boys, but not girls, trained in Logo showed an improvement in debugging skills relative to the control children. Improvement in procedural skills was not related to training in Logo. The results were discussed in terms of distance of transfer, degree of expertise, and the basis of sex differences in computer programming.

Child↗
PubMed2002

The Tower of London spatial problem-solving task: enhancing clinical and research implementation.

Since its development in 1982, The Tower of London (TOL; Shallice, 1982) spatial problem-solving task has been increasingly employed in test batteries of executive functions. This task has served as a rich source of information on preparation, planning and processing, but a number of issues remain unaddressed in the literature: (1) the problem structure, or problem space of the task, (2) the impact of modifications from the original, Shallice TOL, and (3) the variety of performance measures that can be derived from the TOL. We present here an overview of these issues in the hope that it may lead to a more effective and reasoned use of the TOL task by clinical and nonclinical investigators, alike.

Cognition↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Metacognition and mathematical problem solving in grade 3.

This article presents an overview of two studies that examined the relationship between metacognition and mathematical problem solving in 165 children with average intelligence in Grade 3 in order to help teachers and therapists gain a better understanding of contributors to successful mathematical performance. Principal components analysis on metacognition revealed that three metacognitive components (global metacognition, off-line metacognition, and attribution to effort) explained 66% to 67% of the common variance. The findings from these studies support the use of the assessment of off-line metacognition (essentially prediction and evaluation) to differentiate between average and above-average mathematical problem solvers and between students with a severe or moderate specific mathematics learning disability.

Awareness↗
PubMed2005

Cooperative problem solving in a cooperatively breeding primate (Saguinus oedipus).

We investigated cooperative problem solving in unrelated pairs of the cooperatively breeding cottontop tamarin, Saguinus oedipus, to assess the cognitive basis of cooperative behaviour in this species and to compare abilities with other apes and monkeys. A transparent apparatus was used that required extension of two handles at opposite ends of the apparatus for access to rewards. Resistance was applied to both handles so that two tamarins had to act simultaneously in order to receive rewards. In contrast to several previous studies of cooperation, both tamarins received rewards as a result of simultaneous pulling. The results from two experiments indicated that the cottontop tamarins (1) had a much higher success rate and efficiency of pulling than many of the other species previously studied, (2) adjusted pulling behaviour to the presence or absence of a partner, and (3) spontaneously developed sustained pulling techniques to solve the task. These findings suggest that cottontop tamarins understand the role of the partner in this cooperative task, a cognitive ability widely ascribed only to great apes. The cooperative social system of tamarins, the intuitive design of the apparatus, and the provision of rewards to both participants may explain the performance of the tamarins.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Adolescent girl's coping with an STD. Not enough problem solving and too much self-blame.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Approximately three million teenagers are infected with an STD each year. The ways in which an adolescent girl copes with an STD may have implications for future risk and for psychological adjustment. The purpose of the current study was to compare whether coping with an STD was similar to coping with other stressors. SETTING: Urban, hospital-based adolescent medicine clinic. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-seven girls with a mean age of 15.9 (sexual debut was 13.8) yr completed the KIDCOPE in response to both an STD acquisition and an interpersonal stressor within the previous 6 months. RESULTS: Problem solving was used less often, and self-blame was used more often, in response to an STD acquisition. Frequency of use of self-blame was not correlated with perceived helpfulness. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that clinicians need to help adolescent girls manage STD acquisition from the perspective of problem solving rather than self-blame.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

An eye movement study of insight problem solving.

The representational change theory of insight claims that insight problems cause impasses because they mislead problem solvers into constructing inappropriate initial representations. Insight is attained when the initial representation is changed. In the present study (N = 24), we tested three specific implications of these hypotheses against eye movements recorded while participants solved matchstick arithmetic problems. The results were consistent with the predictions, providing converging evidence with prior findings using solution rates and solution times. Alternative theories of insight can explain individual findings, but only the representational change theory accounts for both the performance data and the eye movement data. The present study also suggests that eye movement recordings provide an important new window into processes of insight problem solving.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The effects of rumination and distraction on over-general autobiographical memory retrieval during social problem solving.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the effects of rumination and distraction on over-general autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval during social problem solving (SPS), as well as SPS performance in terms of means and effectiveness. DESIGN AND METHODS: After undergoing a rumination or distraction manipulation, dysphoric and non-dysphoric participants performed a SPS task and reported the memories retrieved during SPS. RESULTS: The dysphoric ruminators performed significantly less effectively on the SPS task than the other groups. However, the dysphoric ruminators did not differ from the dysphoric distracters on the numbers of categoric memories retrieved during SPS although they retrieved significantly more categoric memories than the non-dysphoric distracters and non-dysphoric ruminators. For all groups, the effectiveness score was significantly negatively correlated with categoric memories retrieved during SPS. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that in a dysphoric sample, rumination impaired SPS performance but did not influence categoric AM retrieval during SPS. The results suggested that in a dysphoric sample, rumination might affect SPS performance by affecting processes like initiation and motivation rather than AM retrieval during SPS.

Affect↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Problem-solving therapy versus supportive therapy in geriatric major depression with executive dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: The authors compared the efficacy of problem-solving therapy (PST) and supportive therapy (ST) in a group of elderly subjects with impairment in executive functions. This group was targeted because it has been shown to be at the risk for poor response to pharmacotherapy. METHODS: A total of 25 elderly subjects with major depression and abnormal scores in initiation/perseveration and response inhibition tasks were randomly assigned to receive weekly sessions of PST or ST for 12 weeks. The subjects were systematically evaluated by raters blind to the study hypotheses. RESULTS: PST was more effective than ST in leading to remission of depression, fewer post-treatment depressive symptoms, and less disability. A substantial part of the change in depression and disability was explained by the subjects' improvement of skills in generating alternatives and in decision-making. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study suggests that PST is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and disability in elderly patients with major depression and executive dysfunction. If these findings are confirmed, PST may become an important therapeutic alternative for a patient population who may otherwise remain symptomatic and disabled.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Self-instructional intervention for teaching generalized problem-solving within a functional task sequence.

Effects of an intervention that combined self-instruction with multiple exemplar training on the generalized problem solving of five high school students with severe mental retardation were examined. Innovative features of the intervention included (a) preteaching self-instruction to proficiency with one exemplar before introducing multiple exemplars and (b) embedding problem situations within a functional task sequence. Findings indicated that all students learned to perform five trained problem responses and five generalized responses while self-instructing. The self-instructional intervention appeared to decrease training time required to self-instruct as well as to decrease variability with which participants verbalized their self-instructions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Following the wrong footsteps: fixation effects of pictorial examples in a design problem-solving task.

Two experiments examined possible negative transfer in nonexperts from the use of pictorial examples in a laboratory design problem-solving situation. In Experiment 1, 89 participants were instructed to "think aloud" and were assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: (a) control (standard instructions), (b) fixation (inclusion of a problematic example, describing its problematic elements), or (c) defixation (inclusion of a problematic example, with instructions to avoid using problematic elements). Negative transfer due to examples was measured both quantitatively and qualitatively through verbal protocols. Verbal protocols (N = 176) were analyzed for participants' reasons for reference to the examples. In Experiment 2, fixation to examples was evaluated in nonverbalizing participants (N = 60). Results of both experiments suggest that (a) although participants consulted the problem instructions, they tended to follow the examples even when they included inappropriate elements and (b) the fixation effects can be diminished with the use of defixating instructions.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

A problem-solving curriculum design in physical therapy.

A systematic process used in planning a basic professional physical therapy curriculum design focused on problem solving is delineated and illustrated in this article. Disadvantages and advantages of the present subject-centered curriculum design are enumerated, as well as results of independent evaluations of the proposed alternative curriculum design. A method for validation of a curriculum design without implementation is discussed. The article is presented to stimulate thought and discussion by physical therapy educators about the processes used to plan curricula and about the content of an alternative curriculum design in physical therapy.

Curriculum↗