The process of social problem-solving appears to consist of several general stages including problem orientation, problem definition, generation of alternatives, and decision making. A significant number of studies have found that depressed individuals have a more negative orientation towards their problems and generate a smaller number of less effective solutions on pencil-and-paper measures. Rumination in response to a dysphoric mood has been found to exacerbate feelings of sadness and social problem-solving deficits, while efforts at distraction have been found to reduce or eliminate these effects. To date, nearly all of the research on social problem-solving has utilized pencil-and-paper measures of how individuals feel they would respond to hypothetical problems. The current investigation was designed to evaluate the social problem-solving ability of dysphoric and non-dysphoric participants while talking with a counselor in an analogue counseling interview.More specifically, this study examined the effects of dysphoria and the use of temporary distraction techniques on the social problem-solving ability of 84 female undergraduate students. A structured problem-solving interview and corresponding coding system was designed to measure D'Zurilla and Goldfried's (1971) stages of problem-solving. The coding system yielded high levels of internal consistency, content validity, and construct validity. Forty-one dysphoric females and 43 non-dysphoric females were randomly assigned to either a rumination or distraction task. Dysphoric participants in the rumination condition reported increased levels of sadness, whereas dysphoric participants in the distraction condition reported decreased levels of sadness. After engaging in the rumination or distraction task, each participant was asked to talk with a female counselor during a structured problem-solving interview. Results of a 2 (dysphoric/non-dysphoric) X 2 (rumination/distraction) MANOVA yielded a non-significant interaction effect and a significant difference for the main effect of dysphoria on participants' ratings of problem severity and confidence in solving the problem. Dysphoric participants, whether given a rumination or distraction task, reported a more negative orientation towards their problems, but did not display any deficits in their ability to describe the problem, generate effective solutions, or choose an effective solution. The current findings underscore the need for more naturalistic, behavioral measurements of problem-solving ability and call into question the assumption that depressed individuals exhibit social problem-solving deficits. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

In South Africa, many health and social problems such as HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, truancy and violence are constantly on the increase. Measures to combat these problems have until now proved unsuccessful. As a result the social functioning of young people become detrimentally affected. Therefore it is necessary to find new ways of preventing these pathological phenomena, since the future demography of the country depends on the physical, psychological, emotional and cognitive aspects of the present generation. The study was undertaken to assess life-skills education at schools. The researcher felt that it is important because inadequate life-skills education make children vulnerable to social pathologies. The major tools used for data collection were questionnaires and literature reviews. A sample of 43 schools was drawn in the North-West and Mpumalanga Provinces. The findings revealed that the schools and parents do not prepare children for life. That is schools do not offer Life-Skills education or the time spent on Life Skills education is minimal and educators are insufficiently equipped to offer Life-Skills education programmes. It is also found that children receive their sex education from their peers. This shows that parents do not play their role with regard to the proper socialisation of children. The study suggests that life-skills education programmes and more in-service training be organised for educators so that they can offer effective Life-Skills education to learners. Finally, the study submits that, to be successful, prevention should focus on comprehensive team approach. Prevention is not a limited function of educators, social workers or health professionals, but it can be provided in a concerted effort by all these professionals, parents as well as the community. Through this, the increase of health and social problems can be minimised among young people. / (M. SWK.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 1997. / Includes appendices. Bibliography: leaves 362-391.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-101). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Systems Science and Industrical Engineering, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis provides some new insight into children’s strategies and behaviours relating to problem solving. Problem solving is one of the main aims in the renewed mathematics National Curriculum 2014 and has appeared in the Using and Applying strands of previous National Curriculums. A review of the literature provided some analysis of the types of published problem solving activities and attempted to construct a definition of problem solving activities. The literature review also demonstrated this study’s relevance. It is embedded in the fact that at the time of this study there was very little current research on problem solving and in particular practitioner research. This research was conducted through practitioner research in a focus institution. The motivation for this research was, centred round the curiosity as to whether the children (Year Six, aged 10 -11 years old) in the focus institution could apply their mathematics to problem solving activities. There was some concern that these children were learning mathematics in such a way as to pass examinations and were not appreciating the subject. A case study approach was adopted using in-depth observations in one focus institution. The observations of a sample of Year Six children engaged in mathematical problem solving activities generated rich data in the form of audio, video recordings, field notes and work samples. The data was analysed using the method of thematic analysis utilising Nvivo 10 to code the data. These codes were further condensed to final overarching themes. Further discussion of the data shows both mathematical and non-mathematical overarching themes. These themes are discussed in more depth within this study. It is hoped that this study provides some new insights into children’s strategies and behaviours relating to problem solving in mathematics.

A questão desta pesquisa é investigar a Resolução de Problemas aplicada à situações-problema da OBMEP (Olimpíada Brasileira das Escolas Públicas) em sala de aula, na tentativa de despertar no aluno o gosto pela Matemática, colaborando para o ensino-aprendizagem, construção do espírito crítico e tomada de decisões quanto cidadão. Nos apoiamos em Polya (2006), Dante (1991), Onuchic e Allevato (2004), Mendes (2009), Pozo et al. (1998), Baldin et al. (2012) e documentos oficiais (BRASIL. Secretaria de Educação Fundamental (1997), BRASIL. Secretaria de Educação Fundamental (1998), BRASIL. Secretaria de Educação Média e Tecnológica (1999) e SÃO PAULO (Estado). Secretaria da Educação (2011)). Apresentamos a Resolução de Problemas e as etapas propostas por George Polya (2006) em seu livro, A arte de resolver problemas. Nossa investigação constitui uma pesquisa-ação qualitativa (Lüdke e André (2001), André (2008) e Bogdan e Biklen (1994)), na medida que desenvolvemos uma atividade no 8o ano do Ensino Fundamental - Anos Finais da rede pública estadual paulista, utilizando uma questão do Banco de Questões da OBMEP, com 21 alunos, de 13 a 14 anos, procurando nos aproximar das indicações de Polya (2006), Dante (1991) e Baldin et al. (2012), quanto à Resolução de Problemas. As análises nos indicam que ao optar por desenvolver conteúdos com situações-problema, sendo esses desafiadores, utilizando problemas auxiliares e materiais manipulativos, os alunos mostraram-se participativos e interessados, facilitando sua aprendizagem e encorajando-os a ser curiosos, assumindo um papel ativo na aprendizagem. / The question of this research is to investigate the Problem Solving applied to the OBMEP situation-problem in classroom. The aim is to awaken in students a taste for Mathematics, collaborating for the teaching-learning, the ability to think critically and improve your decisionmaking skills as a citizen. We found support for our objective in Polya (2006), Dante (1991), Onuchic e Allevato (2004), Mendes (2009), Pozo et al. (1998), Baldin et al. (2012) and official documents (BRASIL. Secretaria de Educação Fundamental (1997), BRASIL. Secretaria de Educação Fundamental (1998), BRASIL. Secretaria de Educação Média e Tecnológica (1999) e SÃO PAULO (Estado). Secretaria da Educação (2011)). We present the Problem Solving e as etapas described by George Polya in How to Solve It (1945). Our research is a action research studies combining qualitative (Lüdke e André (2001), André (2008) e Bogdan e Biklen (1994)), since we developed an activity in the 8th grade (elementary school) - Final Years public schools in the State of São Paulo. We using a question from the OBMEP Bank of Questions, with 21 Students, aged from 13 to 14 years old, trying to get closer to the Problem Solving presented in Polya (2006), Dante (1991) e Baldin et al. (2012). The analisys provide convincing evidence that develop learning contents using a combination of manipulative materials and auxiliary problems can provide an extremely useful addition to Mathematics teaching-learning. In addition, based on the analisys, we also noted a increasing students participation and interest, then, facilitating learning and encourage then to be curious, seek new answers and take an active role in learning.

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Problemlösning är en central del av Lgr11 och dagens matematikundervisning. Detta gör att de läromedel som används i de svenska skolorna måste behandla problemlösning om de ska kunna ge eleverna möjlighet att nå de utsatta målen i Lgr11. I årskurs 6 ska eleverna få betyg i matematik vilket gör det viktigt att undersöka om läromedlen når upp till målen i lgr11 runt om problemlösning. Studien är gjord som en läromedelsanalys, av Matte Direkt Borgen 6a och 6b. Min studie är en kvantitativ studie i två delar. Först analyserade jag hur många av de problem som enligt författaren anser är problem är problemuppgifter eller rutinuppgifter. Av det resultatet kunde jag sedan analysera hur väl problemlösningsförmågan, begreppsförståelse och resonemangsförmågan gick att öva via uppgifterna i läromedlet. Resultatet visade att bara 59 av de 137 uppgifter som författaren anser är problemuppgifter gick att klassificera som problemuppgifter. Förmågorna som övades via uppgifterna spelade dock ingen roll om det var problem- eller rutinuppgifter. Här övade alla uppgifter någon av de tre undersökta förmågorna. / Problem solving is a central part of Lgr11 and today's mathematics education. This allows the teaching materials used in the Swedish schools must treat the problem if they are to provide students with the knowledge to reach the vulnerable requirements of Lgr11. In Year 6, pupils get grades in mathematics, making it important to conduct research about learning reaches Lgr11 targets around the problem solving. The study is designed as a teaching material analysis, of Matte Direkt Borgen 6a and 6b. My study is a quantitative study in two parts. First, I analyzed how many of the problems according to the author considers to be problems are problems tasks or routine tasks. Of the result, I could then analyze how well the problem-solving ability, conceptual understanding and reasoning ability went to practice using the information in the teaching material. The results showed that only 59 of the 137 tasks which the author believes is the problem tasks could be classified as problem tasks. The abilities who was exercised by the data, however, does not matter if it was a problem or routine tasks. Here practiced all the information any of the three investigated abilities.