Effect of Stimulus abstractness on problem solving abilities in healthy young adults

Gagan Bajaj; Nayana P.Kumar; Shruthy Varghese; Greena Kuriakose; Aiswarya Liz Varghese; Jayashree S. Bhat

Volume : IV, Issue : I, January - 2015

Effect of Stimulus abstractness on problem solving abilities in healthy young adults

Gagan Bajaj, Nayana P. Kumar, Shruthy Varghese, Greena Kuriakose, Aiswarya Liz Varghese, Jayashree S. Bhat

Abstract :

Problem solving is a mental process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills. There is limited knowledge at present about the construction of problem solving stimuli in various cognitive communicative test batteries. Whether abstractness of the stimulus content would change the performance of the subjects on the task is also ambiguous. Thus the present study is an attempt to resolve this ambiguity. Twenty eight young adults between the age range of 18–27years were included in the study. The task included a total of 56 problem solving questions which were divided into two sets. This preliminary data indicates that the effect of abstractness of the stimulus varies with respect to the nature of the problem, the complexity of the problem and the working memory load involved in the problem.