Retention of Problem Solutions: The Re-Solution Effect

Hindsight bias in insight and mathematical problem solving: Evidence of different reconstruction mechanisms for metacognitive versus situational judgments

“…Although a substantial hindsight effect was detected on correctly solved insight problems, we found no evidence of hindsight bias on unsuccessfully solved insight problems. This moderating effect of solution success was not completely unexpected; it is consistent with evidence from prior insight studies that have shown that restructuring may only occur when a person actually solves an insight problem, and not simply as the result of being told the solution (Dominowski & Buyer, 2000).…”

“…Therefore, updating and rejudging theories would predict that insight problems should be most susceptible to the hindsight bias. Specifically, this theory would predict that hindsight bias effects should be most prevalent on successfully solved insight problems, due to the spontaneous restructuring that occurs as part of the insightful problem solving process (Dominowski & Buyer, 2000).…”

Investigating Insight as Sudden Learning

“…In one of the few modern studies that has attempted to directly investigate insight learning, Dominowski and Buyer (2000) showed that people's re-solution times on a set of classic insight problems were significantly faster than solution times for people who failed to initially solve the problems and were shown the answers. This study showed that information attained from the successful solution of insight problems did lead to better memory for solutions than that attained from being shown the solution.…”

“…The present study combined the methodologies of previous studies by using component importance ratings as a measure of solvers' initial problem representations (Ash & Wiley, 2008), re-solution times on a second problem solving attempt to assess learning (Dominowski & Buyer, 2000), and verbal protocols to assess the occurrence of impasse (Fleck & Weisberg, 2004) in order to empirically investigate the central aspects of Gestalt insight learning theory. The object arrangement puzzles and arithmetic problems from Ash and Wiley (2008) were used in order to directly test for learning differences between problems solved by restructuring vs. routine solving procedures.…”

Obstacles in Investigating the Role of Restructuring in Insightful Problem Solving

“…While being shown the solution may lead an unsuccessful solver to better comprehend the steps involved in solving the problem, their experience clearly deviates from that of those individuals who independently reached the solution. In fact, there is evidence that solving a problem and being shown the solution are not equivalent in terms of their effects on participants' solution behaviors and final problem representations (Ash & Wiley, 2008;Dominowski & Buyer, 2000;Durso, Rea, & Dayton, 1994). A related issue occurs when hints are given during the solution attempt.…”