Abstract

MONTEALEGRE, ROSALÍA. COGNITIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING IN PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS. Act.Colom.Psicol. [online]. 2011, vol.14, n.1, pp.119-138. ISSN 0123-9155.

This paper analyzes problem solving in psychology students on cognitive and social-cognitive aspects. The objective is to examine the method whereby these students are educated in problem-solving processes through the development of three cognitive tasks: productive thinking (creative), heuristic strategies in mathematical games and entertainment, and structuring situation in socio-cognitive conflict. The theoretical foundations are cultural-historical psychology, cognitive computational science and cognitive social psychology. The work comprises three stages: pre-test, intervention sessions (experimental condition) and post-test. In the pre-test - post-test the initial and final states are assessed. The intervention sessions involve, namely, the method of instrumental mediation (material tools, semiotic instruments and other subjects), the heuristic procedure "means-end-analysis", the conceptualizations on structuring or creative conflict of a cognitive activity, and the proximal development zone. Research results are presented in the so-called Contingency Tables, where the activity, development and progress of students in cognitive tasks can be observed.

Keywords : cognitive problem solving; productive thinking; heuristic strategies in mathematical games and entertainment; structuring socio-cognitive conflict; instrumental mediation method.

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