In a 2004 study, a group of American students and a group of Chinese students were told the following story: A treasure hunter is going to explore a cave on a hill near a beach. He suspected there might be many paths inside the cave so he was afraid he might get lost. Obviously, he did not have a map of the cave; all that he had with him were come common items such as a flashlight and a bag. What could he do to make sure he did not get lost trying to get out of the cave later? The majority of Chinese students were unable to solve this problem. However, the majority of American students solved the problem easily, drawing on their memory of the folktale Hansel and Gretel. What problem solving strategy did the American students use to solve this problem?
