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MENTAL MODEL · M6666

Identify, Define, Explore, Act, Look

Identify, Define, Explore, Act, Look
StructuremediumCritical Thinking
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Updated 2026-08-16

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

The IDEAL problem solver is a five-stage model developed by John Bransford and published in 1984 in the book The IDEAL Problem Solver, with a second edition by Bransford and Barry Stein in 1993. I stands for identifying that a problem exists and what it is. D stands for defining and representing the problem, which includes choosing how to frame it. E stands for exploring possible strategies. A stands for acting on the chosen strategy. L stands for looking back and evaluating the effects of the action. The model's emphasis falls on the first two stages, since most failed problem solving comes from acting on an unexamined representation rather than from weak execution.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Use problem representation: write the problem in your own words and state what is given and what is unknown. - Use strategy inventory: list several candidate approaches before committing to one. - Use look-back review: after acting, compare the outcome with the original framing to check whether you framed it correctly.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

A problem representation determines which strategies seem available, so a wrong frame makes the right approach invisible. Spending effort on identification and definition changes the space of possible solutions before any work is invested, which is why the model front-loads those stages. Exploring several strategies prevents premature commitment to the first plausible one. The look-back stage closes the loop by testing the representation against the result, so a failure is attributed to the frame or the execution rather than treated as an isolated miss.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_solvingZH · Explicit
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