Understanding how people problem-solve is vital for writers who desire to write realistic character thoughts and actions. Problem-solving is the process of working through the details of a problem with the goal of reaching a solution utilizing mathematical skills, systematic operations, and/or critical thinking skills (Business Dictionary, n.d.). Individuals engage in problem-solving every day, both consciously and unconsciously, when deciding on what to eat, where to go, or how to get a promotion. Problem-solving is what allows an individual to formulate a plan for moving from their current state to solving their problems (McBride & Cutting, 2019). While problem-solving typically follows the same main processes, there are different problem-solving approaches. One such approach is known as the problem-solving cycle; this approach includes clearly defined steps, which allows for a consistent approach to problem-solving (study.com, 2017). This approach includes seven stages to problem-solving:

1. Identify the problem;

2. Explore the problem;

3. Set goals;

4. List alternative solutions;

5. Select a solution;

6. Implement the selected solution;

7. Evaluate the implementation solution for success (study.com, 2017).

This problem-solving approach can be used in connection with almost any problem. For example, if a writer had a character trying to solve his or her insomnia then the character could utilize this approach to resolve their lack of sleep. An example of this would be:

1. Identify the problem: during this stage, the individual would identify their lack of sleep as the problem.

2. Explore the problem: during this stage, the individual would explore the possible causes of their lack of sleep.

3. Set goals: during this stage, the individual would set a goal for how much sleep they want to get per time and a time frame for achieving the goal. 

4. List alternative solutions: during this stage the individual would create a list of possible ways to fix their lack of sleep, like exercising more, relaxing before bed, or trying medication.

5. Select a solution: during this stage, the individual would pick which of the listed solutions they wish to attempt first and select a duration for attempting the solution; for instance, he or she might attempt relaxation before bed with a time frame of two weeks.

6. Implement the selected solution: during this stage, the individual would use the selected solution of relaxation before bed for two weeks.

7. Evaluate the implement solution for success: during this stage, the individual would, after the two weeks had passed, evaluate the amount of sleep that he or she had achieved and decide if the solution was, in fact, successful.

While the problem-solving cycle is an effective approach to problem-solving, there are alternative strategies that can be employed by individuals alongside this approach to improve an individual’s problem-solving ability. One strategy is to have a full night’s sleep before problem-solving as it was found that REM sleep improves a person’s creative problem-solving skills and a lack of REM sleep can decrease a person’s creative problem-solving skills (Cai, Mednick, Harrison, Kanady, & Mednick, 2009). The trial and error method could also be utilized by adding a step to the problem-solving cycle; the additional step would have the individual try another of the alternative solutions if after the evaluation step they found their chosen goal had not been successfully achieved. Another strategy would be to seek advice from a person not emotionally involved in the problem-solving process as Jung, Wranke, Hamburger, and Knauff (2014) found that the emotional state of an individual can result in a decline of the individual’s reasoning; in turn, this can result in a decrease in the individual’s problem-solving skills.

References

Business Dictionary. (n.d.). Problem Solving. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/problem-solving.html

Cai, D. J., Mednick, S. A., Harrison, E. M., Kanady, J. C., & Mednick, S. C. (2009). REM, not incubation, improves creativity by priming associative networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(25), 10130–10134. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0900271106

Jung, N., Wranke, C., Hamburger, K., & Knauff, M. (2014, June 10). How emotions affect logical reasoning: evidence from experiments with mood-manipulated participants, spider phobics, and people with exam anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(570).

McBride, D. M., & Cutting, J. C. (2019). Cognitive psychology: theory, process, and methodology (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.

Study.com. (2017, October 31). Using the Problem-Solving Cycle to Implement School Change. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/using-the-problem-solving-cycle-to-implement-school-change.html.