Human Mind Is Presented With a Problem,

¶ … human mind is presented with a problem, several processes may come into play depending on the difficulty and the nature of the problem (mrscook, 2012). The four main cognitive functions defined by Jung are sensing, intuition, thinking, and feeling (mrscook, 2012). Some or all of these processes may be used in the human being problem solving process (Heylighen, 1988). These cognitive processes are utilized singly or in combination with one another to first form a problem representation and then work through the problem solving process (Zang and Dosher, 2007). The problem representation is essentially an internal or external model of the problem (Zang and Dosher, 2007). If the problem representation is incorrect, it can lead to difficulty reaching a solution.

The cognitive process of sensing is used when an individual uses any or all of the five senses to gather information about an existing situation (mrscook, 2012). This focus is on "what activity exists" (mrscook, 2012).

The cognitive process of "intuiting involves relying on your 'sixth sense', a "gut feeling" (mrscook, 2012). In this process, hunches are followed to try and solve a problem. The cognitive process of thinking 'involves logical and objective decisions based on facts of cause and effect" (mrscook, 2012). The cognitive process of feeling involves personal values (mrscook, 2012).

There are many additional theories, explanations, analyses, and derivations on this theme where the cognitive processes are differently named or subcategorized. For instance, Lu and Dosher (2007) state that, "problem solving may engage perception, memory, attention, and executive function, and so many brain areas may be engaged in problem solving tasks, with an emphasis on pre-frontal executive functions." However, when analyzing the different processes posited by various theorists, the core processes are ultimately based on Jung's main four cognitive processes of thinking, sensing, intuition, and feeling.

Essentially, there are two basic types of strategies that our brains use to solve problems Lu and Dosher, 2007). One is usually a quick fix while the other takes more time and additional steps (Lu and Dosher, 2007).With technology today, it is now possible to actually watch the brain at work and follow the path that the brain takes in solving different types of problems. Regardless of the type of problem, there has to be a starting point and a solid point of reference to arrive at the final goal from the present state (Lu and Dosher, 2007). It is essential to have formulated an accurate problem representation to obtain an apt solution (Lu and Dosher, 2012).

A problem representation is basically a model of the problem (Heylighen, 1988). It is how one perceives the current state in relation to the desired state with the goal being to get from the first to the latter (Lu and Dosher, 2007). Without an accurate concept of the problem (whether it be external or internal representation), arriving at the desired goal is extremely difficult if not impossible (Lu and Dosher, 2007). According to Heylighen (1988), "changing the problem representation, i.e. analyzing the problem domain according to different dimensions or distinctions is likely to make the problem much easier or much more difficult to solve." Heylighen (1988) further adds that problem, "states which are near to each other in one representation may be far apart in another representation of the same problem." Once the problem representation has been formulated, the mind can then go through a series of steps to get from the current state to the desired state (Heylighen, 1988).