PROBLEM SOLVING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does problem solving mean? 

• PROBLEM SOLVING (noun)
  The noun PROBLEM SOLVING has 2 senses:

1. the area of cognitive psychology that studies the processes involved in solving problems

2. the thought processes involved in solving a problem

  Familiarity information: PROBLEM SOLVING used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PROBLEM SOLVING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The area of cognitive psychology that studies the processes involved in solving problems

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("problem solving" is a kind of...):

cognitive psychology (an approach to psychology that emphasizes internal mental processes)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The thought processes involved in solving a problem

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("problem solving" is a kind of...):

cerebration; intellection; mentation; thinking; thought; thought process (the process of using your mind to consider something carefully)

Meronyms (parts of "problem solving"):

convergent thinking (thinking that brings together information focussed on solving a problem (especially solving problems that have a single correct solution))

inspiration (a sudden intuition as part of solving a problem)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "problem solving"):

enquiry; inquiry; research (a search for knowledge)

calculation; computation; figuring; reckoning (problem solving that involves numbers or quantities)

 Context examples 

Children with two obese parents were nearly three times more likely to fail the test’s problem solving section by age 3.

(Parental obesity linked to delays in child development, National Institutes of Health)

Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Judgment and problem solving.

(CDR - Judgment and Problem Solving, NCI Thesaurus)

The evolution of an individual's problem solving skills, memory, language development, and ability to process information about their environment.

(Cognitive Development, NCI Thesaurus)

Loss of intellectual functions such as memory, learning, reasoning, problem solving, and abstract thinking while vegetative functions remain intact.

(Dementia, NIH CRISP Thesaurus)

Broadly speaking, executive function refers to a set of processes that enable planning, problem solving, flexible reasoning and regulation of behaviours and emotions.

(Childhood obesity linked to structural differences in key brain regions, University of Cambridge)

These may include problems with social interactions, ability to control emotions and behaviors, and cognitive abilities (thinking, learning, remembering, and problem solving).

(Neuropsychologist, NCI Dictionary)

They specify eight cognitive domains that may be impaired in AD: memory, language, perceptual skills, attention, constructive abilities, orientation, problem solving, and functional abilities.

(NINCDS-ADRDA Criteria for Alzheimer's Disease, NCI Thesaurus)

This instrument contains 6 areas which include memory, orientation, judgment and problem solving, community affairs, home and hobbies, and personal care.

(Clinical Dementia Rating Questionnaire, NCI Thesaurus)

The prefrontal cortex area of the brain oversees important functions such as judgment, decision making, and problem solving, as well as emotional control and memory.

(How the brain pays attention to faces and places, NIH)

Children of obese fathers were more likely to fail measures of social competence, and those born to extremely obese couples also were more likely to fail tests of problem solving ability.

(Parental obesity linked to delays in child development, National Institutes of Health)