The Expansion of the Model of Mechanisms of Insight Problem Solving in the S. Ohlsson’s Representational Change Theory

Abstract

The paper explores an option to expand the model of mechanisms of insight problem solving proposed by S. Ohlsson. The proposed mechanisms of insight problem solving — chunk decomposition and constraint relaxation — considered within the framework of high-level and low-level processes. Chunk decomposition described as low-level mechanism and constraint relaxation as high-level mechanism. We assume that difficulty of the different insight problems can be explained by high level chunk decomposition and low-level constraint relaxation. The paper describes two experiments dedicated to verify the assumption. The first experiment examines process of solving anagrams (with word) as high-level chunk decomposition. The main results of the experiment show the prospect of distinguishing the semantic chunk decomposition as insight problem solving mechanism. The second experiment use nine-dot insight problem to examine its solution process as relaxation of low-level (perceptual) constraints. Based on the results of the experiments, it can be considered possible to conclude that the expansion of S. Ohlsson’s model of mechanisms of insight problem solving allows to deem the solutions of various problems in a unified system.