Expert error in trouble-shooting: an exploratory study in electronics

Abstract

International audienceIt is known that novices show poor problem-solving performances and that they engage in a relatively inefficient inferential reasoning mode. Experts show high performances in routine situations in which they only activate knowledge. The main purpose of this work was to test the hypothesis that, under some conditions, novices may develop a more efficient diagnostic reasoning than experts, i.e. they may discover the cause of a faulty system conducting fewer tests while avoiding fixation errors. This hypothesis mainly relies on the possibility that experts may be victims of their own knowledge format (French and Sternberg, manuscript). It is tested in a faulty electronic circuit trouble-shooting task. Data suggest that novices perform better than experts. Results are discussed with reference to the concepts of schema and expert error

Effectual versus predictive logics in entrepreneurial decision-making: Differences between experts and novices

“…For example, experienced individuals are subject to the pitfall of inferring too much from too little information and misreading evidence that confirms prior beliefs; furthermore, those with significant experience are at particular risk because they may have become so mechanical they miss things (Rabin, 1998). This assertion has been empirically tested in numerous areas, including problems involving electronics circuits (Besnard and Bastien-Toniazzo, 1999). Experience can also cause individuals to inappropriately weight information cues, make errors combining them, and be overconfident in their judgments (Shanteau, 1992).…”

The Implications of Research on Expertise for Curriculum and Pedagogy

“…In contrast, troubleshooting novices tested the component in 75.1% of trials (Besnard, 2000;Besnard & Bastien-Toniazzo, 1999). Ultimately, five of the ten expert participants correctly identified the cause of the fault, in contrast to only two successful novices of the nine novice participants.…”

Troubleshooting in Mechanics: A Heuristic Matching Process

“…In Besnard and Bastien-Toniazzo (1999) and Besnard (2000), a rare fault was implemented in an electronic circuit and the frequency heuristic led the experts to test a valid integrated circuit (IC386) soon and often. In the present study, pulling out a cable is a crucial test for it may eliminate a great number of potential faults.…”

“…Secondly, as far as we know, very few studies have been conducted about troubleshooting in mechanics involving a running engine. Thirdly, this choice is an attempt to extend previous results on expert troubleshooting (Besnard and Bastien-Toniazzo 1999;Besnard 2000) to a new field of activity.…”

“…However, in previous papers and with the same kind of dependent variables, Besnard and Bastien-Toniazzo (1999) and Besnard (2000) recorded the plausibility of a heuristic rule-based reasoning process responsible for expert errors in electronics troubleshooting. This is one piece of argument supporting our choice for the same kind of dependent variables.…”