Skip to main content

What Kind of Problem Solver are You?


Problem-solving is a popular modality of psychotherapy and also conceptualized as a brief skills-oriented training program. A problem is a real or perceived imbalance or discrepancy between the demands of a situation and one’s coping ability and reactions (Nezu et al., 1989). Problem-solving skills are not personality traits but social skills that can be learned. Successful problem-solving involves not only having the right kind of orientation but also the adaptive kind of style (Nezu, et al., (2013).

Problem-Solving Orientation

Problem-solving orientation is an individual’s beliefs, attitudes, and emotional reactions about problems and one’s ability cope with these problems. Research has shown that there are two types of problem-solving orientation – positive and negative.

1. Positive problem-solving orientation
  • View a problem as a challenge rather than a threat
  • Be realistically optimistic in believing that problems are solvable
  • Have the self-confidence in one’s ability to cope with problems
  • Understand that successful problem-solving requires time and effort
  • Commit oneself to tacking problems
  • View negative emotions as an integral part of the problem-solving process, especially when addressing stressful problems
2. Negative problem-solving orientation
  • View problems as major threats to one’s well-being
  • View problems as unsolvable
  • Doubt one’s ability to cope with problems
  • Become frustrated, upset, and overwhelmed when confronted with negative emotions while dealing with a problem
A caveat here is that these problem orientation types are not mutually exclusive but only represent a general tendency to view problems from a particular perspective. For instance, an individual may have positive problem orientation for an achievement-related problem at work and a negative problem orientation while dealing with relationship difficulties.

Problem-Solving Styles

People often react to problems with differing styles and research has identified three such styles.

1. Rational or planful problem-solving style: This style is the constructive approach to problem-solving that involves systematic and thoughtful application of the following skills:
  • Clarifying the nature of a problem
  • Setting realistic problem-solving goal or goals and identifying obstacles
  • Generating possible solutions
  • Comparing the pros and cons of these solutions
  • Implementing the solution and evaluating the consequences of the plan
2. Impulsive problem-solving style: This style involves:
  • Going for the “quick fix”
  • Considering only a few solution alternatives, often impulsively going with the first idea that comes to mind
  • Seeing the problem through narrow, “tunnel vision”
  • Monitoring solution outcomes quickly, incompletely, and unsystematically
3. Avoidant problem-solving style: This involves putting off the problems rather than confronting them head on by engaging in one of the following behaviors:
  • Procrastinating
  • Being passive
  • Denying the existence of problems
  • Relying on others to fix the problems
While rational problem-solving is adaptive, the other two styles are dysfunctional and may lead to worsening of the existing problems or create new ones.

Think about a recent problem that you encountered and ask yourself if you generally see problems with a positive or a negative orientation? Now go back to the same problem and think which one of the three problem-solving styles – rational, impulsive, and avoidant – best describes you. Knowing your strengths and limitations as a problem solver helps you change your problem-solving orientation and style to a more adaptive one. If you realize that certain types of situations trigger more negative problem orientation, then being self-aware that this may be you default pattern in these situations helps you become a better problem solver.

To learn more about evidence-based self-management techniques that promote mental health and well-being, check out Dr. Duggal's Author Page.

HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD, FAPA

REFERENCES

Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & Perri, M. G. (1989). Problem-solving therapy for depression: Theory, research, and clinical guidelines. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & D’Zurilla, T. J. (2013). Problem-solving therapy: A treatment manual. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.















Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Value-Based Goals: The Antidote for “Success Depression”

A disconnect between your present accomplishments and your core values may make you suffer from success depression  wherein despite “having it all” (e.g., successful career, stable relationships, healthy children, etc.), you still struggle with depression and view your accomplishments as hollow (Zettle, 2007). The cure for this malaise is to clarify your core values and have goals and actions that are driven by these values. Psychotherapist Russ Harris describes values as our heart’s deepest desires for the way we want to interact with the world, other people, and ourselves. They are what we want to stand for in life, how we want to behave, what sort of person we want to be, and what sort of strengths and qualities we want to develop (Harris, 2009). Values are subjective; what one may consider as a value (e.g., being famous) may be considered as being cocky by another person. Moreover, values do change with time. For instance, you may value social popularity and raising a fa...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 Poor Listening Styles to Avoid

When we talk about communication, we mostly focus on speaking, writing, and reading. Listening is seldom emphasized as a primary form of communication, even though listening enables us to satisfy an individual’s deep psychological needs – to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, and to be appreciated (Covey, 2020). We mostly listen not to understand but to prepare response, judge, or interpret information through our own motives and frame of reference. These poor listening styles can be subsumed under these 10 categories (Covey 2014, Harvard Business Review Press, 2019): 1. Spacing out or ignoring is when you zone out because you are too preoccupied with your own thoughts. This does happen to all of us, but you don’t want to be labelled as a spacey person if this keeps happening to you.  2. Pretend or removed listening is where you may be multitasking and give the speaker the impression that you are paying attention using fillers like “yeah,” uh-huh,” “right,” “cool” or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Are You Suffering from Loneliness?

What is loneliness? Loneliness is a fundamental aspect of life; at some point, everyone will experience it to varying degrees. Even though it is recognized as a public health concern (Office of the Surgeon General, 2023), there is still a need for more discussion about what the experience of loneliness entails and how to recognize it in oneself or others. For starters, loneliness is the distressing feeling you experience when there is a discrepancy between the interpersonal relationships you wish to have and those you currently have (Peplau & Perlman, 1982). It is not the number or frequency of social contacts but your subjective appraisal of the quality of relationships and the satisfaction with the relationships that influences loneliness (Heinrich & Gullone, 2006). Moreover, loneliness is not synonymous with social isolation, nor is it an inevitable consequence of being alone. You can be in the company of others and still experience loneliness, whereas you may not feel...
Post a Comment
Read more