Characteristics of Effective/Ineffective Problem Solvers

Characteristic	Effective	Ineffective
Attitude	Believe the problem can be solved	Give up easily
Actions	Reread the problem several times	Lie back and hope a solution will occur
	Redescribe the problem Ask themselves questions Create a mental picture Draw sketches, write equations	Unable to redescribe the problem
	Don’t jump to conclusions	Jump to conclusions
Accuracy	Check and recheck	Do not check
Solution procedures	Break the problem into subproblems	Don’t break the problems apart
	Start at a point they first understand	Don’t know where to start
	Use a few key fundamental concepts as building blocks	Fail to identify key concepts
	Use heuristics	Guess
	Persevere when stuck	Quit
	Use quantitative formulas, descriptions	Do not do so
	Keep track of progress	Use no special format

Fogler and LeBlanc, Prentice Hall

-It doesn’t matter whether you are effective or ineffective problem solver at the first time you read this table, what does matter is how soon you learn, practice, and work yourself to become an effective problem solver from this moment, or to become an even more effective problem solver.

-If you think you can, you will. If you think you can’t, you won’t