ABSTRACT
The interaction of culture and problem-solving using a computer-simulated complex and dynamic problem was explored. The ways in which people try to tackle such problems are shaped by their learning experiences as well as the functional constraints within which they have to operate. An experiment was conducted with university students from India and Germany as participants. They had to work on one of two different versions of the M oro -problem. Moro is a computer-simulated interactive complex problem where participants have to take the role of a developmental administrator and try to improve the living conditions of a small tribe of semi-nomads in Africa. The protocols of the problem-solving processes were analyzed with a focus on the strategic aspects of problem-solving. Indian and German problem solvers differed in their approach regardless of the version with which they worked. German students used a more active and control-oriented strategy and committed fewer errors in the course of problem-solving, whereas Indian students used a more feedback-oriented strategy and sought more contextual information.
