Planning

Structured and Abstract Problem-Solving Tasks

Much of the scientific literature about planning is based on tasks in this category, and these types of tasks emerged before other types were conceptualized. Perhaps the most well known abstract problem-solving task is the Tower of Hanoi (TOH; Denckla, 1994; Scholnick, Friedman & Wallner-Allen, 1997), which has been used with both adults and children. The standard task utilizes three identical pegs evenly spaced across a rectangular board. A fixed number of rings differing in size are placed on one or more of the pegs in varying patterns which depend on the problem to be solved. The task calls for rearranging the rings to match a configuration different than the original while obeying the rules of the game. Rules include never placing a larger ring on top of a smaller one (size constraint), moving only one ring at a time, and placing rings only on pegs.

Variants of the TOH (e.g. Klahr & Robinson, 1981; Welsh, 1991) were created to simplify the task demands. Methods of simplification include providing a visual representation of the solution, using cans of different sizes instead of rings, and tapering the pegs. The latter two methods were meant to remind the player of the size constraint rule. Additional means of simplifying the task for younger players include colour coding the rings or cans and embedding the task into a story about three monkeys of different size who like to jump on trees. The Tower of London is another variant of the TOH. It utilizes three coloured beads that are to be placed on pegs of three different heights. As in the other tasks, the goal is to achieve a prescribed solution in the minimal number of moves while obeying a set of constraints.

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