ABSTRACT
Studying complex problem solving by means of computer-simulated scenarios has become one of the favorite themes of modem theorists in German-speaking countries who are concerned with the psychology of thinking. Following the pioneering work of Dietrich Dörner (University of Bamberg, FRG) in the mid-70s, many new scenarios have been developed and applied in correlational as well as in experimental studies (for a review see Funke, 1988). Instead of studying problem-solving behavior in restricted situations (like the “Tower of Hanoi” or “Cannibals and Missionaries”; cf. Greeno, 1974; Jeffries, Polson, & Razran, 1977), the new approach focuses on semantically rich domains that provide a touch of reality that was not inherent in the older research (see also Bhaskar & Simon, 1977). In the computer-administered scenario “LOHHAUSEN,” for instance, subjects have to take over the regentship of a little town (Dörner, Kreuzig, Reither, & Stäudel, 1983). In other work, subjects take over the roles of a manager of a little shop (Putz-Osterloh, 1981), of an engineer in a developmental country (Reither, 1981), or of a pilot flying to the moon (Thalmaier, 1979). In general, the new approach deals with the exploration and control of complex and dynamic systems by human individuals.
