Insights represent cases of problem solving that involve a sudden reorganization of the mental problem representation, yielding a nonobvious or nondominant interpretation (Kounios & Beeman, 2014). While the field has profited from a recent surge in empirical studies as well as from new methodological approaches, a unifying theory is still missing. As a first step towards this goal, a new theoretical model of insight problem solving is presented that differentiates between monotonic (analytical) and non-monotonic (insightful) problem solving. The model conceives insight as a process with two key components: On the cognitive side, sudden changes (“restructuring”) in problem representations are involved (Knoblich et al., 1999), while the affective component consists of a strong emotional response, the so-called “Aha! experience” (Wiley & Danek, in press). Empirical evidence is provided for model assumptions such as the relationship between sudden restructuring and Aha! experiences, the existence of false insights, and weaker Aha! experiences for monotonic problem solving. This model provides a comprehensive framework for future research, independent of task domain.

References:
Knoblich, G., Ohlsson, S., Haider, H., & Rhenius, D. (1999). Constraint relaxation and chunk decomposition in insight problem solving. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 25(6), 1534–1555.
Kounios, J., & Beeman, M. (2014). The cognitive neuroscience of insight. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 71–93.
Wiley, J., & Danek, A. H. (in press). Restructuring processes and Aha! experiences in insight problem solving. Nature Reviews Psychology.