Both North American and European approaches to complex problem solving (CPS) have in common an emphasis on relatively complex, semantically rich, computerized laboratory tasks that are constructed to be similar to real-life problems. The approaches differ somewhat in their theoretical goals and methodology, however. North American research on CPS has typically concentrated on examining the development of expertise in separate, natural knowledge domains. Most of the European research, in contrast, has focused on novel, complex problems, and has been performed with computerized, sometimes highly artificial tasks. The present volume focuses exclusively on the European approach. The distribution of contributors . . . reflects where the bulk of the empirical research on CPS has been conducted in Europe. The contributions to this volume center around 5 main topics. The first 3 chapters provide definitions and describe the various theoretical frameworks and empirical approaches that have been offered thus far. The 2nd group of chapters deals with general topics in CPS research, such as the role of feedback on task performance, implicit learning processes, and the relation between CPS and decision making. The 3rd group of chapters deals with differential aspects of CPS, such as intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and personnel selection. A 4th group of chapters deals with methodological issues in CPS. The last topic, evaluation, consists of a single chapter comparing North American to European approaches to CPS.
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