PHYSICS PROBLEM SOLVING

(^) Conflict Avoidance
To understand more fully the role Alternate Claims play in creative conflict, the
issue of conflict avoidance must be addressed. In physics, destructive interference of
light waves leads to dark patterns on a viewing screen, and constructive interference of
light waves causes a bright pattern. “Evidence supports the argument that a cooperative
context aids constructive controversy” (Johnson and Tjosvold, 1989, p. 57). Creative
activity occurs when controversy or conflict in a group is constructive, and the outcome
is greater than any individual contribution. In general, the students in this study engaged
in constructive controversy (with Group 4C being the notable exception). The degree of
constructiveness, however, was largely dependent on the composition of the group:
Whether there are positive or negative consequences depends on the conditions
under which controversy occurs and the way in which it is managed. These
conditions and procedures include: (1) the goal structure within which the
controversy occurs, (2) the heterogeneity of decision-makers, (3) the amount of
relevant infdecision-makers to disagormation distrree with each otibuted among deher without creatingcision-makers, (4) the defensiveness, and ability of
(5) the perspective taking skills of the decision-makers (Johnson and Tjosvold,
1989, p. 56).
Lack of these factors may help explain less adequate physics descriptions.
Prior research showed a general reluctance of students in a physics problem-
solving group to make overt challenges or to disagree with each other (Heller and
Hollabaugh, 1992). (We have dubbed this “Minnesota niceness,” and it may in part be
culturally conditioned. Other college faculty in Minnesota have noticed this phenomena.)
To look for open conflict in these groups, I would turn to Group 4C. In an
interaction between members SV and EW (Table 3-7, p. 85, Group 4C, Lines 35-54), SV
says, “Write down we want to find out unknown forces on the strut. On the strut,