9 checked facts

Problem-solving

Everything on this site about problem-solving — each one naming the study behind it.

You only notice your stress when you stop moving.
The incubation effect, as described by Graham Wallas in his 1926 book 'The Art of Thought,' suggests that creative sol…
You change your mind when you cannot use tools.
In a 1945 study, participants failed to solve problems because they could not stop seeing an object's 'intended' use.…
Your best decisions happen when you stop thinking hard.
A 2006 study by Dijksterhuis proposed that complex decisions are made more effectively when distracted, though these f…
Sleeping on it improves your problem-solving abilities.
A 2004 study found that participants who slept were significantly more likely to gain insight into a hidden mathematic…
You use the same solution for different problems.
You will stick to an inefficient solution for a problem because it worked on previous ones.…
If you have a hammer, everything is a nail.
People tend to apply the same familiar solution to every problem regardless of context.…
You struggle to use objects in new ways.
Functional fixedness limits your ability to see new uses for common objects.…
You struggle to solve problems you have used before.
Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias where you become unable to see an object as having any function other than it…
Common tools often become invisible when you need new uses.
A 1945 study found that participants struggled to solve problems when the necessary tools were already being used for …