Document Type
Research Paper
Abstract
We investigated the conscious experiences people had while discovering the contents and layout of a sealed box by manipulating it. Introduction to Psychology students were presented with a black video cassette box containing an object that was free to move and various fixed structures made of plastic foam packing material. Using the sounds the object made when the box was manipulated, subjects were asked to discover both the moving object and the layout of the box. Subjects participated in two rounds: First they solved the problem individually to their satisfaction, then they worked with a partner to produce a consensus solution. The partner pairs were videotaped and were asked to describe aloud their conscious experiences and problem solving strategies as they handled the box. They then responded to a check list of possible conscious experiences. This poster presentation will contrast (a) the responses and conscious experiences of partner pairs with (b) the responses and experiences of subjects working alone. The research question is whether pairs will be more likely to produce a correct solution than individuals, and if so why.
Publication Date
1999
Journal Title
Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference
Volume
3
Issue
1
First Page
53
Last Page
60
Copyright
©1999 by the University of Northern Iowa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Publisher
University of Northern Iowa
City
Cedar Falls, IA
Recommended Citation
Coonfare, Anastasia; Lundstrom, Joel; Rovang, Megan; and Yates, Jack
(1999)
"Solving the Black Box Problem: Are Two Heads Better Than One?,"
Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference: Vol. 3:
Iss.
1, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/csbsproceedings/vol3/iss1/12
