Category: Problem Solving

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Survival of the Studious

By Makayla Rosenbery

Survival value (also known as adaptive value and connection to survival processing) is understanding memory and how memory is used to survive which leads to survival processing that encodes items into our memory(1)! Survival value leads to enhanced memory by relating words to situations that others have not experienced (the apocalypse!!!) This works because when we relate words to our survival, we are linking to something meaningful that will stick in our minds(2). In cognitive psychology, survival value refers to the adaptive benefit of certain cognitive processes or behaviors that assist one’s survival. 

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Two to Six, Take Your Pick!

By Garrett Spahn

Introduction

A lot of kids will struggle with studying when they first start college. Some kids may have gotten by with their study habits in high school but most of the time, these study habits don’t quite help anyone in college. College is so much different in that there aren’t many small assignments that help you to make sure you understand the material like there were in high school. There are lectures, quizzes, participation, papers, presentations, and exams and that’s pretty much it when it comes to grades in college. For me, I tried to take on high school by myself whenever I could but that will not go will with you for college. I highly encourage any freshmen coming in to immediately start going to some study groups or just collaborating with at least one person that you can count on.

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Using Elaboration as a Cognitive Approach for Helpful Studying

By Emma Sandlin

It is quite difficult to start college. There are several issues that must be resolved, the most important of which being how to comprehend and absorb the content in the best possible way. One of the many worries that accompany beginning college is learning how to use elaboration when studying new material. According to cognitive psychologists, elaboration is a very useful technique for enhancing learning and memory retention (1). Elaboration is the process of bringing new information to life by connecting it to what has already been learned or by creating meaningful connections. Students can improve their comprehension and retain more information by using the elaborative encoding method. Study skills mastery is essential to achieving academic brilliance. Elaboration is shown to be an effective tactic for boosting understanding, fortifying memory retention, and encouraging in-depth learning (1). Elaboration makes study sessions more lively by enticing students to actively interact with the content, draw connections, and develop ideas (2). Students that integrate elaborative processing into their study regimens open the door to an abundance of knowledge that is just waiting to be discovered and comprend (3).

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Beyond The Basics

By Jayden Minton

From a young age we are conditioned to learn new information in creative ways. As we grow older we slowly start to fade and grow out of the ways in which we were taught would help us. The most important information is taught to us while we are young so that we know the basics to build off of for newer and more complex information. Learning information in creative ways that are out of the ordinary tend to stick with us. Why does this not appear more in high school and college?

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Similar Problems Have Similar Solutions

By Alexander Brittain

College students have a huge responsibility in their first year of college. They are expected to achieve academic goals that they set prior to starting the school year. There are many cognitive psychology strategies that can be used to exel in the classroom. By using these strategies you will utilize your time studying and learning in the classes you take. The strategy that I am going to talk about is how to solve problems using analogies. Analogies are used to reach a goal by utilizing past information. Analogies play a key role in problem-solving, decision-making, perception, and more.

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How functional fixedness impacts people

By Alayna Missel

Have you heard of the term functional fixedness? Properly not considering you are a freshman in college. I am here to give you some tips on studying with regards to functional fixedness. The term functional fixedness is defined as when old information that a person has learned interferes with their ability to process and learn new information. This happens because functional fixedness is a form of a fixation. A fixation is when a person focuses on the one singular, often the most common use of an item and this inhibits the person to think outside of the box in which they could be able to use the item in different ways. Why am I telling you these definitions you might ask? I am telling you because in order to be successful sometimes you have to think outside the box when looking for a solution to a problem.

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How to Solve Life’s Problems…Well At Least Some of Them

By Austin Zielsdorf

Congratulations you have past high school and you are ready to face the world. More importantly, you are ready to face college. However, if you are like me, you will experience the “uh-oh” moment. This is the moment where you realize that you have no clue what you are doing and you do not know how to solve the problems college is throwing at you. Do not worry! I’ll show you some methods of solving those tough problems. Yes there are more than one, and yes you can do it. The methods include the Gestalt Approach, the Information Processing Theory, Analogical problem solving, and the Thinking Out Loud Protocol. So Sit back and put those learning caps on.

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Easy as 1,2,3

By Jhariana Floyd

It is no secret that math tends to be the subject that most students struggle with. There are numerous reasons as to why that is so, but there are steps that can be done to develop stronger math skills. Math teachers are taught to present concepts in CPA format. That means concrete examples, then pictorial examples, and finally abstract examples. It is believed that this allows students to best comprehend new material. However, there are many debates on how information should be delivered to students. It is believed that it is best to teach information with concrete facts and work up to abstract material. Think back to when you first took algebra. Sorry if I am forcing you to relive horrific memories., but it’s to help you.  You were prepared to learn algebra your whole life through the use of concrete methods. Your teachers taught you how to solve equations, then how to graph equations, and then how to guess what a line would look like given facts. Guessing the line requires mental imagery, and I’m going to help understand how mental imagery contributes to one’s success in math.

Breaking down math visuals to gain a better understanding.

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Divergent Thinking: May the Study Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

By Katie Van Dettum               

Freshman year of college. The times of adjusting to college, figuring out where your life is headed, and overall attempting to stay sane even with all of the changes in your life happening. One of those changes happens to be trying to figure out how to solve problems now that you’ve taken your first steps into the scary world of being an adult. As a junior, I have learned a few things when it comes to solving problems that I can pass on to incoming freshman. Specifically, when it comes to studying and doing homework. College has caused me to readjust my strategies in order to become a more productive studier and a better student as a whole.

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Imagine that!

By Katlyn Arrenholz

So it’s time to go off and get ready for college, YAY! So many new things to learn and encode into your brain. What expectations do you have for your first day? Do you see yourself walking to your first class and sitting at one of the many tables set out for you? Well even if you hadn’t you have now! The act of mentally seeing how your first day of college will go is a form of mental imagery. But mental imagery is not just used for future events it’s used for a plethora of other things that we do daily as students, and just as humans, and we don’t even notice that we are using it!

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