What is it, really?
At the heart of problem solving sits abstract reasoning: identifying the rule behind the examples. The field’s most famous test is Raven’s Progressive Matrices — a grid of shapes with one cell missing, where you must infer which shape completes the pattern. A classic analysis unpacked exactly which thinking processes that test measures (Carpenter, Just & Shell, 1990).
Another side is carrying a solution from one place to another: classic research on "analogical problem solving" showed how hard — and how useful — it is to notice that a new problem shares its structure with one you already solved (Gick & Holyoak, 1980).
How researchers measure it
In the lab, problem solving is measured with pattern-completion tasks (Raven-style), multi-step planning puzzles, and problems that demand systematic trial and error. Our "Shape Cipher" game is built precisely around completing the pattern in a grid of shapes, and "Pattern Recognition" and "Shape Fit" around pattern spotting and planning.
What it looks like day to day
In daily life: assembling furniture when the instructions are unclear, packing the suitcase so everything fits, or working out why the recipe failed — and what to change next time.
About the research
The classic analysis of Raven’s matrices — which thinking processes the test really measures.
Carpenter, P. A., Just, M. A., & Shell, P. (1990). What one intelligence test measures: A theoretical account of the processing in the Raven Progressive Matrices Test. Psychological Review.
The classic study of transferring solutions between structurally similar problems.
Gick, M. L., & Holyoak, K. J. (1980). Analogical problem solving. Cognitive Psychology.
This page explains how researchers define and measure this ability. It is not medical advice and not a promise of training outcomes.
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