The nature of restructuring in insight: An individual-differences approach

Abstract

The insightful problem-solving process has been proposed to involve three main phases: an initial representation phase, in which the solver inappropriately represents the problem; an initial search through the faulty problem space that may lead to impasse; and a postimpasse restructuring phase. Some theories propose that the restructuring phase involves controlled search processes, whereas other theories propose that restructuring is achieved through the automatic redistribution of activation in long-term memory. In this study, we used correlations between working memory (WM) span measures and problem-solving success to test the predictions of these different theories. One group of participants received a set of insight problems that allowed for a large initial faulty search space, whereas another group received a matched set that constrained the initial faulty search space in order to isolate the restructuring phase of the insightful process. The results suggest that increased ability to control attention (as measured by WM span tasks) predicts an individual's ability to successfully solve problems that involve both the initial search phase and the restructuring phase. However, individual differences in ability to control attention do not predict success on problems that isolate the restructuring phase. These results are interpreted as supporting an automatic-redistribution-of-activation account of restructuring.

Executive functions in insight versus non-insight problem solving: An individual differences approach

“…13 Figural Fluency is itself a complex task which is not necessarily a pure measure of executive functioning and it may be that performance on that task also reflects at least some spontaneous non-executively loaded processes that lead to new directions of work in producing new patterns. Overall, the present results support the view that System 2 processes play a lesser role in insight problem solving than in non-insight tasks, reflecting a greater importance of automatic implicit processes in re-structuring as suggested by early Gestalt theorists (Maier, 1931) and more recently by spreading activation accounts (Ohlsson, 1992;Ash & Wiley, 2006 …”

“…Fleck concluded that these results supported the spontaneous theory of restructuring in insight, i.e., relatively small role for System 2 and a larger role for System 1 processes in insight v. non-insight problem solving. Ash and Wiley (2006) contrasted insight problems with large and small search spaces and found that individual differences in ability to control attention (as indicated by working memory spans) was not associated with solving small space insight problems but was associated with solution of larger space problems. The results were interpreted as supporting automatic (System 1) accounts of restructuring.…”

“…Figural Fluency (Gilhooly & Murphy, 2005) and working memory capacity (Ash & Wiley, 2006); Murray & Byrne, 2005;Fleck, 2008;Gilhooly & Murphy, 2005). These measures are broad in that the performance on such tasks will be underlain by a number of more specific factors.…”

“…Previous studies have also tended to use rather small samples of problems (Ash & Wiley, 2006;Fleck, 2008;Murray and Byrne, 2005) and/ or of participants (Murray & Byrne, 2005). The present study will involve larger samples of tasks (18 insight and 10 non-insight, detailed below) and of participants (N = 120).…”

The dynamics of search, impasse, and representational change provide a coherent explanation of difficulty in the nine-dot problem

“…Although Ohlsson's model (1992, p. 20) incorporates search as a necessary process before an impasse is met, the framework mainly focuses on what processes occur to release the problem solver from impasse, without a great deal of elaboration on the particular nature of search processes before Nine-dot problem 4 and after an impasse. Jones (2003) provided a model that elaborated Ohlsson's notion that insight problem solving can be understood as a sequential process of different phases (search -impasse -insight -search, see also Ash & Wiley, 2006). This model suggests that there might be a concerted interplay of search and impasse, with each affecting the other.…”