Running head: EVALUATING PROBLEM SOLVING

EvaluatingProblemSolvingTechniques
SarahPeoples
ConcordeCareerCollege

EVALUATING PROBLEM SOLVING

EvaluatingProblemSolvingTechniques
Throughoutlife,wearefacedwithparticularproblemsthatrequireacertaincourseof
action. These problems or events that require a decision on our behalf must be dealt with
accordinglyifwearetomakethecorrectdecision.AproblemthatIamcurrentlyexperiencedis
the difficulty in losing weight. Additive strategy, elimination by aspects, and meansends
analysisareproblemsolvingstrategiesthatIwillattempttoutilizeinsolvingthisproblem.
When using anadditive strategy, one lists the characteristics of each element of the
decision,weighsthemaccordingtoimportance,addsthemup,anddetermineswhichoneismore
appealingbasedonthedesiredendresult (Wood,Wood,2014). Forexamplewithadesireto
loseweight,Imightlisttypesofdiets,exercises,limitations,andtypesofsupplements.Then,for
eachmethod,Iwouldrateeachfeatureonascalefrom+3to3.Additionally,Iwouldweigh
eachfeatureaccordingtoitsimportance.IfIconsideralowcarbdiettobetwiceasimportantas
highintervalcardioexercise,Iwouldmultiplytherankingforlowcarbdietby2.Finally,I
wouldadduptheratingsforeachmethod.Themethodwiththehighestrankingwins.
Elimination by aspects is a problem solving technique, which involves eliminating
alternativesbasedonwhethertheydoordonotpossessaspectsthatthedecisionmakerhas
deemednecessary(Wood,et.al.,2014). Inusing, thisstrategytochoosehisamethodtolose
weight,IwillsetsaminimumcriteriaforeachmethodIthinkisimportant.Forexample,typesof
diets,exercises,limitations,andtypesofsupplements.,respectively.Iwouldthencomparethe
methodaccordingtotheseminimumcriteriaset,beginningwiththemostimportantcriteriafirst.
Anymethodthatdoesntmeetthespecifiedcriteriagetseliminated,andtheremainingonewins.

EVALUATING PROBLEM SOLVING

Inmeansendsanalysis,theproblemsolverbeginsbyenvisioningtheend,orultimate
goal,andthendeterminesthebeststrategyforattainingthegoalinhiscurrentsituation(Wood,
et.al.,2014).Inregardstomyproblemwithlosingweight,firstitisimportantthatIconsiderthe
obstaclesthatstandinthewayoftheinitialproblemandthegoal.Secondly,theobstaclesinthe
wayofeliminatingthesegoalscanbeachievedthroughtheimplementationofsubgoals.For
example,thiscouldbedoneassmallweeklyweightlossgoalsoranincreaseintimespent
exercising.Thirdly,thesubgoalshavebeencreatedbytheneedtosolvethedifficultylosing,
meansendsanalysis,isusedwherethelongrangegoalisalwayskeptinmindtoguideproblem
solving.

Despitethepossibleeffectivenessofthemethodsdiscussed,thereisonemethodthathas
providedmewiththemostinsightintosolvingthisproblem.Overall,asawayofdetermining
themosteffectivemethodtoloseweight,Iwouldutilizethemeansendanalysis.Thismethod
wouldallowmetosetsmallachievablegoalstoreachmyultimategoal.Aspersonwhocanbe
easilyoverwhelmedbyseeminglyinsurmountablegoals,themeansendanalysisprovidesme
withacompletelymanageablewaytofocusingonthisgoal.

EVALUATING PROBLEM SOLVING

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References

Wood,S.,Wood,E.,&Boyd,D.(2014).Masteringtheworldofpsychology(5thed.).Boston:
Pearson/AllynandBacon.