It is suggested that models of human problem solving are useful in the analysis of word fluency (WF) test performance. In problem-solving terms, WF tasks would require the subject to define and clarify the conditions of the task (task acquisition), select and employ appropriate strategies, and monitor one's performance. In modern neuropsychology, the frontal lobes have been attributed a crucial role in general problem solving. A simple information-processing model is applied to preliminary experimental and clinical data on qualitative features in neurological patients' WF performance. The study in question was performed at the Boston Veterans Administration Hospital. The WF results are part of a project which focused on the problem-solving skills of chronic alcoholics. It is proposed that the model reveals a hierarchy in the susceptibility of the problem-solving components (task acquisition, strategy selection, and monitoring) to neural damage. Figures and tables illustrate the text. (MSE)