Implicit theories held by adults about everyday problem solving.

Abstract

The present study was designed to elicit the mental models or implicit theories held by adults about everyday problem solving. Twenty-four adults, age 25-60, from a wide range of educational and occupational orientations, were interviewed in pairs. Research questions were posed to draw forth the type of information which would allow the researcher to identify the content of these mental models. The integrated framework on Induction proposed by Holland, Holyoak, Nisbett, and Thagard (1986) was adopted as a conceptual framework for the study, by virtue of its use for ill-defined problems and its application to social science research. The study establishes the existence of mental models or implicit theories held by adults about everyday problem solving. The results identified the predominance of the interpersonal and emotional factors salient to this genre of problem solving. Individual differences, communication and problem identification were highlighted as the most significant and difficult areas upon which success was contingent. Degrees of self-confidence and habitual usage of a system or method were seen to be significant factors, often correlated with experience and education. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)