Question

Common obstacles or barriers of successful problem solving include all of the following except __________.
A.
inferring unnecessary constraints
B.
ignoring irrelevant information
C.
using rigid thinking that was used to solve past problems
D.
perceiving items as useful for only their original function

Answer 1

B. ignoring irrelevant information

Ignoring irrelevant information helps problem solving (it reduces distraction). The others are real obstacles: inferring unnecessary constraints, rigid/mindset-based thinking, and functional fixedness (seeing items only in their usual role).