Problem Solving, Automaticity, & Intelligence

In research on skilled performance, emphasis has traditionally been placed on the movement from actively controlled performance to automatic performance as experience increases. Expert performance theory proposes that superior performance is marked by the acquisition of cognitive structures that operate independently of generalized abilities but are not automatic. The current study instructed a group of undergraduate students under goal-recursive strategy and control conditions with the goal of modifying the mechanisms mediating performance. Training effects were observed among difficult problems on a transfer task. Differing correlation coefficient trends between performance and general fluid abilities were found; although these coefficient differences were not found to reach traditional significance levels. Verbal reports showed individual differences in strategy use predicting performance within groups, but no main effect of group assignment on strategy use indicating that individuals did not utilize their training in the strategy trained condition. Conclusions and future directions are discussed.