Problem Solving Division #1 - One of the Major Problem Solving Strategies
Use of Intuition
Intuitions in Problem Solving
Intuition - a Well-Researched Description
After a review of numerous descriptions of intuition in the literature and based on 20 years of problem solving study, I offer this description of intuition which I believe is one of the best available.
Problem Solving Strategy
In the course of a day, you make hundreds of decisions and other problem solving answers usually based on your intuition. These are called by such names as:
| intuitive decisions
gut feelings leaps of understanding jumping to conclusions snap judgments hasty decisions |
quick guesses
habit type decisions sixth sense arbitrary guesses hunches safety intuitions - usually made instantly in emergencies |
Many of these problems and decisions are simple, unimportant, and in the habit-type class. Others are of varied importance that you make instantly because of the urgency, a good enough answer will suffice, or you correctly or incorrectly have confidence in your intuition. Often you have no control. The intuition pops up. Intuitions may also develop from observations or unconsciously over a period of time. In teaching problem solving, details about intuition should be included.
What Is Intuition?
There are disagreements as to what it really is. It is often difficult to distinguish between creative illumination and intuition. Thoughts are expressed in the literature that intuitions are spiritual, psychic, parapsychological, pseudoscientific process, but most opinions are that they are a normal brain process.
Intuition
Intuitive thinking enables you to unconsciously utilize hundreds to many many thousands of bits and pieces of knowledge you possess in memory. Your mind functions fast without:
- Conscious detailed review of a process of analytical problem solving
- Conscious recognition of past experiences
- Conscious review of your ethics, emotions, personal standards, patterns, feelings, relationships, etc.
In seconds or instantly you can have:
| a leap of understanding
a hunch or clue, or inkling problem solution a prediction premonition |
warning
criticism decision encouragement idea |
You then have to make a decision about what to do, if anything, about your intuition.
Powers & Perils of Intuition
Importance & Powers of Intuition
Many intuitions may be important, so too many errors of intuition can hurt your success, relationships, or reputation for problem solving and decision making skills. You solve so many problems and decision problems intuitively daily that is important for you to develop your intuition base. Most literature on intuition doesn't mention adequately how to develop your intuition base and how important it is to do so.
Developing Intuition - One of Your Main Problem Solving Strategies
Most of this site is devoted to explaining the full model formula for the complete method of creative problem solving. Knowledge of this is the most important thing for your intuition base. This is of special value to those doing research and those in managerial positions.
Here are other things that add to your intuition base:
|
curious observation
a good memory freedom from biases experiments creativity emotional stability discussions motivation reading extensively reflective thinking |
study and surfing the web
an extensive body of knowledge situation awareness and analysis variety of experience memories and accurate interpretation of them ability to match and contrast things memory of other people's experiences and accurate interpretation of them ability to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant concepts good reasoning and analytical ability your normal professional, trade, etc. memorized knowledge |
Note: The above attributes also describe a person with wisdom as well as good judgment, as these require prior experiences and the other items above. These things will also contribute to your general problem solving skills.
Perils of Intuition
While intuitions can be of great value, they at times can deceive you and may cause you trouble in problem solving. In teaching problem solving these perils should be covered.
Guard against:
- intuiting what you want it to be
- your mood or attitude at the time of the intuition resulting in an unreliable intuition
- intuitions based on wrong memories
- intuition based on inadequate or wrong intuition base
- and others
Practical Intuition vs. Claims of Superiority for Intuition
Teaching Problem Solving - Teach the Need to Check on Intuition
A few authors claim that intuitive decisions are superior to analytical ones. There is much evidence that challenges this. So don't rely on it. An intelligent person will, for an important decision, when time permits, verify the accuracy of his or her intuitions by rational thought, planned experimentation, study of supporting evidence, practical trial, etc. Remember, it is important that your knowledge based include SM-4 and SM-14.
The more your problem solving skills include the complete method of creative problem solving, the better will be your intuitive decisions. Also, it is more likely that you will remember that for important problem solving and decision making you should verify your intuitive ideas.
For more information on intuition, see Research Report #3. (Coming soon.)