The nature of restructuring in insight: An individual-differences approach |
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Authors: | Ivan K Ash Jennifer Wiley |
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Institution: | Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529-0267, USA. iash@odu.edu |
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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 problemsolving 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. |
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