<p>Interesting queston I am a psychology student who is learning how to code as well. I am often thinking about what are the best strategies to learn. Below I am referencing a research paper that showed that a too rigid mindset impairs performance in general problem solving abilities.</p>

<p>ErEl, H., &amp; Meiran, N. (2017). A drop in performance on a fluid intelligence test due to instructed-rule mindset. Psychological Research, 81(5), 901–909. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-016-0796-8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-016-0796-8</a></p>

<p>I am found something similar in my attempts to learn. Sometimes it is useful to take a break to relax your mindset, as it seems that the mind inhibits other solutions, when you are focused on something to exclusively. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-19T18:48:08.473Z
2019-05-19T18:48:08.473Z
Borut Flis
<p>I'm learning programming and I'm now at an advanced stage meaning that I need to solve problems from fields such as dynamic programming, path finding or recursion problems. Depending on the problem I need anywhere from multiple hours to weeks to solve a problem. I often get stuck which seems to be normal from what I have read so far. However sometimes I got stuck and did not code for weeks and then finally was able to solve the problem, even when not thinking about it. I just looked at it from a different angle and was able to solve it. The question is: If I am really stuck, so that I do not code for days to weeks, should I start another problem or should I insist on finding the solution to the problem I'm stuck with. Is there any research pertaining this phenomena?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-20T15:30:21.207Z
Related, and possible duplicate: [How is it that taking a break from a problem sometimes allows you to figure out the answer?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/1/how-is-it-that-taking-a-break-from-a-problem-sometimes-allows-you-to-figure-out)
Steven Jeuris
<learning>
Working on one problem opposed to working on mutliple problems when programming
CuriousIndeed
# Working on one problem opposed to working on mutliple problems when programming

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-19)

I'm learning programming and I'm now at an advanced stage meaning that I need to solve problems from fields such as dynamic programming, path finding or recursion problems. Depending on the problem I need anywhere from multiple hours to weeks to solve a problem. I often get stuck which seems to be normal from what I have read so far. However sometimes I got stuck and did not code for weeks and then finally was able to solve the problem, even when not thinking about it. I just looked at it from a different angle and was able to solve it. The question is: If I am really stuck, so that I do not code for days to weeks, should I start another problem or should I insist on finding the solution to the problem I'm stuck with. Is there any research pertaining this phenomena?

**Tags:** learning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Related, and possible duplicate: [How is it that taking a break from a problem sometimes allows you to figure out the answer?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/1/how-is-it-that-taking-a-break-from-a-problem-sometimes-allows-you-to-figure-out)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-19. Score: 1

Interesting queston I am a psychology student who is learning how to code as well. I am often thinking about what are the best strategies to learn. Below I am referencing a research paper that showed that a too rigid mindset impairs performance in general problem solving abilities.

ErEl, H., & Meiran, N. (2017). A drop in performance on a fluid intelligence test due to instructed-rule mindset. Psychological Research, 81(5), 901–909. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-016-0796-8>

I am found something similar in my attempts to learn. Sometimes it is useful to take a break to relax your mindset, as it seems that the mind inhibits other solutions, when you are focused on something to exclusively.


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