Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

Most research into problem solving has considered each problem to be solved as a unique event. Our observations lead us to conclude that much of the problem solving perople do is based on previous experience. Analogy to previous experience contributes to the knowledge available for later problem solving. This paper presents a framework for those components of problem solving which rely on previous experience. The processes involved and the organization of experience which supports those processes are considered. Examples are drawn from two problem domains: diagnosis and treatment of modd disorders and plan selection for resolution of disputes.