psychology of insight

Question 1

insight

Answer 1

A change in conceptual understanding that allows a solution to a problem to be discovered and repeated in the future

Question 2

nature of insight

Answer 2

• Example - the 9-dot problem
  
  • Phenomena:
  • Simple to state, hard to solve
  • Fixation ( functional fixedness)
  • Impasse
  • ‘Aha’
  • Incubation
  • Gestalt accounts - perceptual ‘whole’ limit moves to inside the square

Question 3

importance of insight - theory

Answer 3

• Consciousness - do we control our own thinking?
  
  • Determinism - procedure bs reproductive thought?
  • Modularity - is insight a ‘special process’?

Question 4

3 theories of insight

Answer 4

· Representational change theory
- Knoblich et al (1999)
- its what you know that makes the problem hard
· Criterion of Satisfactory progress
- MacGregor, Ormerod & Chronicle (2001)
- its what you do that makes the problem hard
· Multiple factor theory
- Kershaw & Ohlsson (2004)
- Perceptual factors (Gestalt)
- Knowledge factors
- Search factors

Question 5

testing the effects of knowledge

Answer 5

• matchstick algebra - move on stick only to make sum work
• Knoblich et al (1999)

Question 6

testing the effects of strategy

Answer 6

• start states
• solution rates
• typical 1st moves
• typical late moves
• MacGregor et al (2001)

Question 7

testing strategy and knowledge together

Answer 7

• 8 coin problem
• transform an initial array so each coin touches exactly three others, moving only 2 coins

Question 8

verbal hints (after 6 mins)

Answer 8

· The solution requires the creation of two groups of coins
· The solution requires the use of three dimensions

Question 9

results

Answer 9

0-6 mins:
- 6 -= no moves - visual hint
- 4 = moves - visual hint
- 2 = no moves - no hint
+ two group hint:
- 10 = no moves - visual hint
- 5 = moves - visual hint
- 2 = no moves - no hint
- 1 = moves - no hint
+ three dau hint:
- 11 = no moves - visual hint
- 6 = moves - visual hint
- 11 = no moves - no hint
-7 = moves - no hint

Question 10

enhancing insight - analogy

Answer 10

• transfer from example to new problem
• fundamental to education and learning theories
• rarely spontaneous
• Gick and Holyoak, 1980
• hint = 92%
• no hint = 20%

Question 11

enhancing insight - incubation

Answer 11

· Divergent thinking - any kind of incubation helps
· Linguistic insight - facilitation only with low cognitive load
· Visual insight - facilitation only after lengthy preparation period

Question 12

enhancing insight - sleep and verbal problems

Answer 12

· Remote associate tasks (RATs):
- What word goes with - cottage, swiss and cake?
- What word goes with - board, mail, magic?