The Cognitive Psychology of Knowledge

G. Strube and K.F, Wender (Editors)

© 1993 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. AU rights reserved.

CHAPTER 14

MICROWORLDS BASED ON LINEAR
EQUATION SYSTEMS: A NEW

APPROACH TO COMPLEX PROBLEM
SOLVING AND EXPERIMENTAL

RESULTS¹

Joachim Funke

University of Bonn, Germany

ABSTRACT

The method Ofcomputer-Stmulatcd scenarios has recently been introduced to study how people
solve complex problems. This paper describes a special approach to constructing such
microworlds by means Ofiinearsiructural equation systems. Subjects’ task in the experimental
situation is to first identify in a knowledge acquisition phase the causal structure of an hitherto
unknown system. In a Iaterknowledge application phase they have to control this system with
respect to a given goal state. Knowledge that was acquired on the task is assessed both by
means of causal diagrams - a method developed within this project and proven to be very
useful - as well as by the degree of successful control performance. Three experiments on
special attributes of such systems (active interventions versus observations only, effects of
different degrees OfEigendynatnik, the influence of different degrees of side effects) illustrate
the approach. The mentioned factors have considerable influence on identification and control
of the system SINUS. The conclusion deals with the advantages of an experimental approach
in this area.

Following the pioneering work of Dietrich Domer (1980, 1987, 1990, 1991)
sta∏ing in the mid-seventies, several computer-simulated scenarios (some call
it “microworlds”; e.g. Brehmer, 1992; Brehmer & Domer, in press) havebeen
developed and applied in correlational as well as in experimental studies on

¹ This research reported herein was financially supported by Grant No, Fu 173/1 of the
Deutsche Forschungsgetneinschaft.

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