water-jug problem

a problem-solving task in which participants are asked how they would measure out a specific amount of water using a number of jugs (often three) of specified capacity. For example, they might be asked to obtain exactly 39 ml of water using jugs that hold 207 ml, 165 ml, and 42 ml. Actual jugs are not usually provided. Also called water-jar problem. [used to investigate the Einstellung effect by U.S. psychologist Abraham S. Luchins and U.S. mathematician and psychologist Edith H. Luchins (1922–2005)]

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Psychology term of the day

March 17th 2025

family study

research conducted among siblings, parents, or children to assess evidence for genetic links for characteristics or outcomes, often related to health or disease. For example, a family study might be conducted to assess whether individuals from the same family who share a similar genetic structure also have similar responses to a health-promotion intervention such as diet, exercise, or medication. The extent to which performance on a given measure varies as a function of genetic similarity is used as an indication of the heritability of that measure.