Verbal insight revisited — dissociable neurocognitive processes underlying solutions accompanied by an AHA! experience with and without prior restructuring

Abstract

In this article, we investigate insight problem solving by exploring the subjective AHA! experience as a function of restructuring of a problem. It has long been assumed that the AHA! experience is the direct consequence of restructuring. However, is this assumption justified? We will argue that a) the AHA! experience does not always result from prior restructuring and that b) solutions with accompanied AHA! do not underlie a single neurocognitive process. In this regard, we use a modified compound remote associates (CRA) paradigm designed to experimentally dissociate restructuring from the AHA! experience. Results indicate that solutions accompanied by an AHA! are often found also in absence of restructuring. This finding is explained by proposing distinct CRA solution processes that differentiate between AHA! solutions with and without restructuring. We predict that solutions with accompanied AHA! experience differ in their behavioral, neural and eye-tracking related signature as a function of restructuring. The results mostly support these predictions. These findings have implications for insight research: First, by only measuring the subjective AHA! experience especially using CRAs it cannot be implied anymore that restructuring has occurred. Second, it is vital to experimentally separate the different components of insight to better understand its underlying diverse neurocognitive processes.

A cognitive neuroscience perspective on insight as a memory process: Searching for the solution.

“…While the IFG may refer to inhibition of frequent but solution-irrelevant associations, the ACC may refer to switching the attentional focus to infrequent but solution-relevant associations. This assumption is in line with studies demonstrating that the IFG seems to respond specifically to item difficulty in verbal insight tasks with higher levels of activation in difficult compared to simple insight trials (Becker et al, 2020c;Luo et al, 2004a). The necessity to inhibit solution-irrelevant associations and select among competing alternatives should increase with increasing item difficulty.…”

“…The necessity to inhibit solution-irrelevant associations and select among competing alternatives should increase with increasing item difficulty. In contrast, when controlling for difficulty, the ACC is selectively activated in all insight trials (that involved representational change) compared to noninsight trials (Becker et al, 2020c;Luo et al, 2004a). Because the solution 7 is usually an infrequent association of the cues, shifting the attentional focus to infrequent associations is always necessary for solving RATs and should therefore be independent of item difficulty.…”

“…Successfully inhibiting solution-irrelevant associations and switching the attentional focus to solution-relevant ones increases the likelihood for automatic processes to activate the weakly associated item that is the solution of the problem (Becker et al, 2020c;Bowers et al, 1990). Once this activation exceeds a certain threshold, the neurons representing the solution concept start firing and the solution is assumed to reach the solver's awareness.…”

“…Solution retrieval via automatic processes distinguishes insight from noninsight solutions. The latter is not experienced as sudden and is assumed to be retrieved via conscious semantic memory search in a more trial and error manner (Becker et al, 2020c;Kounios & Beeman, 2014).…”

Between automatic and control processes: How relationships between problem elements interact to facilitate or impede insight

“…If the converging spreading activity from the cues or their associates reaches the solution node and generates a level of activity that exceeds a certain threshold, the solution may "pop" into solver's mind (Bowers et al, 1990;Becker et al, 2020a,b). This may explain why the solution often appears suddenly to the solver (Becker, Kühn, Sommer, 2020).…”