Dr. John Malouff, Phd., J.D, an Associate Professor at the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences at New England University in New South Wales, Australia, outlines several steps and strategies to solving problems that exist across the spectrum of the modern human experience.
Dr. Malouff holds degrees in Psychology and Law from The University of Southern Colorado, The University of Colorado, and Arizona State University, and has published several research articles and peer reviewed papers.
Here is an excerpt from his recent online research article, Over Fifty Problem Solving Strategies Explained:
Strategies to help you understand the problem:
Clarify the problem. It is easier to solve a specific problem than a vague one. So clarify the problem before you start looking for a solution. If your problem is that your spouse tells you that you are not supportive enough, find out what he or she means by supportive. If your problem is that your mother can’t get the new VCR to work, determine what doesn’t happen that she wants to happen. If your problem is a math homework question, read carefully the question (usually at the end):Is the answer supposed to be in meters or centimeters, rounded or not, square or not, etc.
Identify key elements of the problem. Problems come to us with varying amounts of important and useless information. Focusing on useless information distracts us and wastes time. So identify the key elements of the problem before you start looking for a solution. If the problem is that of a couple who come to you for counseling because they argue continually, ask them what they argue about, when, and where. If the problem is that your bike squeaks when you ride it, determine what part squeaks.
Visualize the problem or relevant process or situation. Sometimes we can see the problem and all its important details right in front of us. This helps us understand the problem. Other times we can’t see important elements because they have already occurred or are not visible. In these cases, it is valuable to visualize important elements of the problem. So, if you want to predict the future of the universe, visualize the big bang and the ensuing events. If you want to open a lock without a key, visualize the lock mechanism. If you want to determine how a murder was committed, visualize events that would explain the physical evidence.
Read more about Dr. Malouff’s problem solving strategies at the University of New England website ( http://www.une.edu.au/bcss/psychology/john-malouff/problem-solving.php ).