Question

When working on the nine dot problem (i.e., a 3x3 grid of lines where you need to cross through all of the dots using only four connected lines), people may struggle because:

A. they assume the problem is easy and when they realize it isn't, they tend to give up.
B. these sort of problems can only be solved in groups.
C. the problem is physically impossible to solve.
D. they assume they cannot go outside the lines, when indeed they must.
E. they are not used to working with dots and lines in the context of problem-solving.

Answer 1

People struggle with the nine dot problem because they mistakenly assume that they cannot go outside the grid lines to connect all nine dots with four straight lines, an example of a common pitfall to problem-solving.

Step-by-step explanation:

When working on the nine dot problem, which is a spatial reasoning puzzle, people often struggle because they assume they cannot go outside the lines, when in fact going outside the grid of dots is necessary to solve the puzzle. This is because people have a tendency to limit their thinking within the perceived boundaries—here, the lines of the grid. It is a common pitfall to problem-solving where individuals are constrained by their accustomed method of thinking and fail to approach the problem with outsider or unconventional methods, like in the metaphorical example of a person trying to exit a room through a locked doorway, despite other doorways being available.