Insight & creativity Flashcards
What is insight?
The sudden discovery of the correct solution following incorrect attempts based on trial-&-error
The sudden emotional response/feeling of solving a problem, NOT the cognitive response
What view are Gestalt approaches to problem solving opposed to?
The behaviourist view of solving problems using trial-&-error learning
A problem can be restructured to reach a solution. What is this called?
“restructuring the problem space”
What does ‘restructuring the problem space’ require?
Requires insight/recognition that you method is not working
You must reconsider your previous assumptions & rethink the solutions
Requires previous failure
Kohler (1927) placed a chimpanzee in a room with bananas hanging out of reach. What happened?
The bananas moved a block to underneath the bananas & hit them down with a stick
–> they had insight to use tools to get the bananas
Did Kohler’s (1927) chimpanzee solve the problem by insight?
Yes - no trial-&-error
Epstein et al. (1984) placed a pigeon in a box with food hanging out of reach. What happened?
The pigeon slowly moved the box to reach the food, getting off the box & moving the box closer multiple times when it realised it couldn’t reach
Did Epstein et al.’s (1984) pigeon solve the problem by insight?
No - its behaviour was reinforced by trial-&-error (wasn’t a sudden spark of insight)
What is functional fixedness?
When you fixate on an object’s normal use & not on other alternative uses
Why might functional fixedness help you solve a problem?
If you view an object as having other uses, a problem can become easier
Who did the ‘two-string problem’?
Maier (1931)
What did the ‘two-string problem’ involve?
2 strings hang from the ceiling, the pp has to tie the strings together but they are too far apart to hold at the same time
How do you solve the ‘two-string problem’?
Pps are given pliers - they can tie them to one length of string to act as a weight to use as a pendulum
Can swing the string & catch it whilst holding the other string
Why can’t most people solve the ‘two-string problem’?
Most fixate on the plier’s normal uses & not on alternative uses (= functional fixedness)
Why isn’t the ‘two-string problem’ a good example of functional fixedness?
Because pps can’t solve it
Who did the ‘candle problem’?
Duncker (1945)
What did the ‘candle problem’ involve?
Pps must fix & light a candle on a wall so that it doesn’t drip onto the table below
They are given a candle, book of matches & a box of thumbtacks
How do you solve the ‘candle problem’?
Empty the box, put the candle inside, use a thumbtack to nail the box with the candle in it to the wall & light the candle with a match
Why can’t most people solve the ‘candle problem’?
They only see the box as a device to hold thumbtacks, not as a separate component (= functional fixedness)
What do pps do when they are given an empty box with thumbtacks on the side in the ‘candle problem’?
They are better at solving the problem –> view the box as a simple container & can imagine alternative uses for it