Effects of Open-Endedness on Problem Solving Behaviour

Design is a form of ill-structured, open-ended problem solving. However, most experimental research on problem solving investigates well-structured problems with pre-defined solutions. We use an ill-structured categorization task to investigate effects of varying degrees of open-endedness on three indicators of problem-solving behaviour: solution variability, path dependency of solutions, and perceived problem-solving difficulty. Four-person groups solved three categorization problems, grouping 16 randomly selected pictures into four groups of four items each. Task goals and participants' open-endedness beliefs were varied to create three levels of problem open-endedness. In two tasks, participants grouped pictures based on similarity, seeking either a single best "expert" solution (least open-ended) or a "good" solution (more open-ended). In a third task, participants grouped pictures by creating four simple stories involving the items (most open-ended). Story versus similarity goals significantly influenced solution variability, path dependency and perceived problem-solving difficulty. Expert versus good open-endedness beliefs significantly influenced perceived difficulty.