CCTST Problem Solving 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse observes that a patient's condition worsened after a new medication was introduced. To determine causation rather than mere correlation, she should:
- Assume the medication is responsible and stop it immediately
- Check whether the condition worsened before the medication was given
- Consider alternative explanations and review patient history (Correct answer)
- Report the medication as dangerous without further investigation
Correct answer: Consider alternative explanations and review patient history
Distinguishing causation from correlation requires ruling out alternative explanations and examining the full context of the situation.
Question 2: Which problem-solving approach is most appropriate when a problem is entirely novel with no established procedures?
- Apply the most recent procedure used for any problem
- Use analogical reasoning by drawing on similar past problems (Correct answer)
- Wait until a procedure is established
- Randomly try solutions until one works
Correct answer: Use analogical reasoning by drawing on similar past problems
Analogical reasoning transfers insights from structurally similar problems to novel situations when no direct precedent exists.
Question 3: A software team has limited time to fix five bugs before a product launch. They should prioritize by:
- Fixing bugs in the order they were reported
- Addressing the bug that took longest to discover first
- Ranking bugs by severity and impact on users (Correct answer)
- Fixing the easiest bugs first regardless of impact
Correct answer: Ranking bugs by severity and impact on users
Prioritizing by severity and user impact maximizes the benefit of limited resources, a core principle of effective problem solving.
Question 4: When a problem has multiple contributing causes, the most effective intervention targets:
- The most recently identified cause
- The cause that is easiest to eliminate
- The cause or causes with the greatest leverage over the problem (Correct answer)
- All causes simultaneously, regardless of resource constraints
Correct answer: The cause or causes with the greatest leverage over the problem
Targeting high-leverage causes produces the greatest improvement per unit of effort, making it the strategically sound approach.
Question 5: A researcher defines the problem as 'lack of funding' before conducting any investigation. This is an example of:
- Thorough problem framing
- Premature problem definition (Correct answer)
- Evidence-based reasoning
- Hypothesis testing
Correct answer: Premature problem definition
Defining a problem before gathering evidence risks locking in an incorrect framing, which can lead to solutions that do not address the actual issue.
Question 6: A decision-maker uses a decision matrix assigning weights to criteria like cost, speed, and quality. This technique primarily helps with:
- Identifying the problem
- Generating creative solutions
- Objectively comparing multi-attribute alternatives (Correct answer)
- Implementing the chosen solution
Correct answer: Objectively comparing multi-attribute alternatives
A weighted decision matrix makes explicit trade-offs between multiple criteria, reducing bias in choosing among complex alternatives.
Question 7: Which scenario best demonstrates the use of decomposition in problem solving?
- Solving a complex budget deficit by breaking it into departmental sub-problems (Correct answer)
- Brainstorming as many solutions as possible in five minutes
- Asking a colleague for their opinion on the problem
- Implementing the first solution that comes to mind
Correct answer: Solving a complex budget deficit by breaking it into departmental sub-problems
Decomposition breaks a complex problem into smaller, manageable components, making each part easier to analyze and address.
CCTST Problem Solving 3
A nurse observes that a patient's condition worsened after a new medication was introduced.
To determine causation rather than mere correlation, she should: