An Information-Processing Approach to Personal Problem Solving

TLDR

Personal problem solving is framed as an information‑processing cycle where individuals absorb data, transform it into solution plans, and execute those plans, with individual differences shaping this process. The authors aim to define personal problem solving in a way that permits the application of informal‑problem‑solving and expert‑knowledge methods, thereby enabling targeted interventions and guiding future research directions. Counseling recommendations are offered based on the authors’ experience working with college students.

Abstract

An information-processing view of personal problem solving is presented, involving the way people take in information, process that information into plans for solutions to personal problems and carry out those plans. An abbreviated view of how we view the effect of some important individual differences is presented. We present a definition of problem, which we see as allowing research that can use methods analogous to those employed in research informal problem solving and in the study of 'experts.' We hope that such research will allow us to target interventions according to particular client weaknesses. We suggest some research directions that have promise of future pay off. Suggestions for counseling are made that derive from our experience in counseling college students.