Nine-year-old Aleesa wants her father to play a video game with her, but Dad tells her, "Sorry, honey, I don't have time. There are dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, and the living room has to be dusted and vacuumed. I need to clean the house before Grandma and Grandpa come tonight. Aleesa thinks for a moment and then says, "How about if I wash the dishes and do the dusting? That way, you'll have some time to play with me." Aleesa's approach to solving her problem-convincing Dad to play a video game-most clearly reflects:
A) brainstorming
B) use of an analogy
C) functional fixedness
D) means-ends analysis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Aleesa's approach to solving her problem involves means-ends analysis, which is a problem-solving strategy that involves identifying the goals or ends that one wants to achieve and then identifying the means or steps that can be taken to achieve them. Aleesa's goal is to play a video game with her father, and she identifies the means of washing dishes and doing the dusting as a way to achieve that goal. Brainstorming involves generating multiple ideas to solve a problem, use of an analogy involves comparing a problem to a similar situation, and functional fixedness involves being unable to think of new ways to use an object. None of these strategies are evident in Aleesa's approach.

Nine-Year-Old Aleesa Wants Her Father to Play a Video Game