Problem-Solving Simulation Essay

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Problem-Solving Simulation Kelly Haggerty BEH/225 March, 24, 2013 Debra Pearce Problem-Solving Simulation The problem solving simulation presented a challenge that included the need to move three animals to the other side of the river. The raft, however, could only carry one animal at a time, thus creating a problem of leaving animals exposed to potential harm. In order to arrive to a plausible solution I had to us a problem-solving process. According to Morris and Maisto “The first step in solving a problem is called problem representation, which means interpreting or defining the problem” (2010, p.225). In interpreting the problem I first had to recognize what was conflicting an easy solution. For instance, the raft could only carry one animal at a time, but leaving the cat alone with the mouse would cause harm to the mouse, and leaving the dog alone with the cat would cause harm to the cat. The problem then was how to move the animals to the other side of the river without leaving the cat alone with the mouse or the dog alone with the cat. After interpreting the problem the next step is to choose a solution strategy and to evaluate the progress taken toward the resolution. For the problem at hand, the solution strategy that I thought would work best was that of trial and error because the solution offered very limited choices. This strategy enabled me to try different approaches, such as moving one animal then the next, and also enabled me to calculate the next appropriate action. This in turn, allowed me to evaluate my progress because I could decipher if the movement of one would lead to the successful movement of another. Implementing solution strategies can often be difficult because there is always a chance that obstacles will present themselves. The simulated problem presented here though, offered very few unexpected obstacles. The information

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