Q.Identify obstacles that one may encounter in problem solving.

Two major obstacles to solving a problem effectively are discussed in the chapter: mental set, a rigid reliance on previously successful steps, and a simple lack of motivation to persist.

Mental set is the tendency to solve a new problem by relying on mental operations or steps that have already worked in similar problems before. It usually forms after a person completes a couple of similar problems (for example, mathematics questions of one kind), and while it often helps by speeding up problem solving in genuinely similar situations, it can also create rigidity — the old steps interfere with noticing a new strategy the current problem actually needs. A related, more specific form of this obstacle is functional fixedness, where a person fails to solve a problem because they are fixated on an object's usual function and cannot see it could serve a different purpose — using a hardbound book as a hammer to knock in a nail, instead of assuming a book can only be read, is an example of overcoming it.

Lack of motivation is a separate obstacle: even excellent problem-solving skill is of no use if a person is not motivated enough to apply it. People often give up too easily on encountering difficulty or failure at the very first step of implementing a solution, so persistence in the face of setbacks is treated as being just as important to solving a problem as having the right strategy.