Rebecca Hormann

What to keep in mind while solving a problem

Problems are something that we encounter on a daily basis. Whether it is something simple, like deciding what to eat for breakfast or something complex, like having our car break down in the middle of the highway, we are trained to solve these problems when they come our way. Some are better problem solvers than others but, according to Psychology Today, there are a few basic steps that we should keep into consideration when faced with a problem.

The article tells us that a problem itself is something that is in the way of one achieving their goal. Whether that goal be extremely simple and trivial, like getting out of bed, or something more complex and life-effecting, like getting a job that you want. There are two different types of problems: well-defined and ill-defined. A well-defined problem involves something that has a clear path to the solution. A recipe might be a perfect example of this. One needs food and has all the ingredients, the solution is to follow the recipe to omit the problem. An ill-defined problem is something a little more realistic and complex. Think of a goal that you would like to achieve in your life time. Maybe travel the world, for example. Well first you must get the money to do so. Before that you must find a job in order to get that money. Things grow more and more complex as you break them down and then the matter of time itself comes into play. These types of problems don’t have guidelines.

According to the post on Psychology Today the main steps to solving a problem are understanding the problem, creating a plan, execute the plan and then reflect. I find these steps to be extremely practical and easy to follow… in certain situations. Realistically thinking, many people make a 5 year life plan to achieve their goals… but what if something goes wrong. Suppose you, in 5 years, want to end up married and starting your family. Well what happens if you haven’t even met someone who you would potentially marry and have been hopping around jobs for 4 of those years. It is all and good to have a plan, but we must be open to the fact that plans will not always work out and problems do change over time. What may be a problem today may not be a problem for us in a month because our perspectives change.

The article also talks about how many people jump this first step, they do not stop to understand the problem. This I do find to be very accurate but only in certain, smaller situations. When it comes to life goals and problems we need years to solve, then we do take the time to understand the problems we face. But it is something trivial that angers us in the moment, we most definitely do not stop to understand the logistics of the problem.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/good-thinking/201309/how-solve-problems-expert

From Smelling to Remembering

Rebecca Hormann

Through these past through units we have taken a look at different types of memory and the details around them. I would like to take a looks at a phenomenon known as the olfactory memory. The olfactory memory is the concept that a certain smell that is associated with a memory can trigger a being to recall that memory in the moment in which they are in contact with that smell. This not only applies to the images behind a memory but the emotions themselves. Overall, the study finds that the use of an odor can actually be largely more effective in triggering memories than the use of an image.

This psychological knowledge has actually been put to use in many everyday life situations. AN example of this might be a restaurant that specifically produces foods with strong smells so that the human brain takes not of these and is more likely to remember the food or restaurant and ultimately go back. Obviously, the memories or feelings that a smell can trigger will not always be positive, depending on the experiences involved in the first encounter.

So how exactly does this phenomenon work in the human body? Well, after entering the nostril, an odor makes contact with the olfactory bulb which takes the information of this certain smell and transports it to the brain. Smells then go to the amygdala and the hippocampus where they are “processed” and “filed” into our memories where they can later be triggered and opened.

I find this concept to be quite sublime because we tend to associate memories with images or stories, however some of the fondest memories one might have has to do with food or a certain meal. It is nice to know that our bodies are capable of recalling such memories simply through a whiff of freshly baked wonderfulness.

How Smell Can Trigger Memories. (2016, December 5). Retrieved February 28, 2018, from https://reverehealth.com/live-better/smells-can-trigger-memories/

Cognitive Psychology refers to the study of the mind and how the mind itself goes about processing information. The mind is a complex thing, therefore, cognitive psychology is a complex study with many different aspects to be observed. When thinking of other items that are used to process information one of the first that may come to mind is a computer. Ever since the invention of the computer, psychologists have been able to use its system to relate to and learn bits and pieces more about the system of the mind.

An assistant professor of psychology and computer science by the name of Sidney D’Mello has been working on a project involving computers and cognitive psychology at the University of Notre Dame. His goal is to build some type of technology that, through understanding the cognitive functions of the brain, can aid students in their learning. D’Mello wants to, through experiments and tests involving the reactions of the human brain, create a computer that shares a “brain” more like a human. In this way, the computer would be able to aid a student in their learning because it would have a better understanding of the road bumps students face. He summarizes this goal by saying: “Shout at a computer and it ignores you. Can you imagine a layer of computing that goes beyond simply issuing instructions or gestures and, in five to 10 years, when you’re confused or frustrated with what you are doing, the system helps you along?.”

D’Mello seems to have created a fusion between cognitive psychology and computer science, two things that have been connected for a while. Since the beginning of computers, psychologists have seen similarities between computers and the mind. Two systems that receive input information and therefore produce some type of response. Sidney D’Mello is taking this a step further by looking to create computer responses that hold a bit of humanity in them. The complexity of his system, however, is that it must be manufactured for certain individuals because not every human is the same.

Overall, the research that is being performed by D’Mello and his crew could open a new door into the future. Instead of trying to learn about the system of the brain based on what one can do with a computer, he has decided to combine the two things for the benefit of learning.

1. Neisser, U. (2014). Cognitive Psychology[Classic Edition]. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://books.google.es/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oyGcBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=computers and cognitive psychology&ots=RCqUfoJx7d&sig=uvXJO2WuMIFXX5AdFT8SIdizESE#v=onepage&q=computers%20and%20cognitive%20psychology&f=false
2. Bauters, F. (2016, January 13). Blending Psychology and Computer Science, Professor Seeks to Build Technologies That Help Humans Learn. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://al.nd.edu/news/latest-news/sidney-d-mello-psychology-computer-science-technologies-learning/