I would like to explore further the concept of background knowledge. For instance, I was wondering how you might have answered the question differently on the first week of class versus the fifth week of class. For instance, would you have included information related to the Broca or Wernicke's area in your discussion related to problem solving? Our readings discuss how background information can negatively affect problem solving, but it also discusses some of the reasons why background information can assist with problem solving. It discusses how having background information can assist you with classifying and understanding the problem. Another way that background information can assist us in problem solving is through automacity. For instance, the more automatic that something is the more problem solving steps use automizing and demand less attention. This is similar to a concept that we discussed during the first weeks related to how driving a car or tying your shoelaces becomes automatic and therefore demands less attention. 

 

So, how can we use automacity to assist with problem solving?  Another way to use automacity is through the use of analogies. An analogy is the way of transferring information from one subject-to-another subject to increase understanding. Analogy is a way of using similarities in order to help in understanding something that seems unknown.