In the problem solving process, to diagnose means to

• A. Identify symptoms only
• B. Implement a solution immediately
• C. Find the cause of the problem
• D. Assign blame

Answer: (C)

Diagnosing in problem solving means determining the underlying cause of a problem by analyzing symptoms and evidence. It’s about figuring out why something happened so you can address the real issue, not just what is visibly occurring. Once you identify the root cause, you can choose a solution that actually fixes the problem rather than just treating surface signs. For example, if a machine isn’t running, symptoms might be no power or strange noises, but diagnosis would involve checking the battery, fuses, or motor to find the true failure. The other options miss the aim: identifying symptoms alone doesn’t explain why the problem occurred, implementing a solution without knowing the cause can waste time or fail, and assigning blame doesn’t help solve the problem.