THE ROLE OF LEVERAGE POINTS IN OPTION GENERATION

Existing models of problem solving address option-generation through t he use of problem spaces, which are combinatorial elaborations of all possibilities, thereby reducing problem solving to the activity of sea rching through the problem space. We suggest an alternate view of opti on generation in which courses of action are constructed from leverage points. We hypothesize that people can use their experience to identi fy leverage points, which are opportunities for making critical change s at relatively low effort. In this view, option generation is a const ructive activity using the leverage points to structure the course of action.