MODELING THE AHA! MOMENT: A COMPUTATIONAL MECHANISM FOR STRUCTURING AND INCUBATION IN CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

摘要

The underlying mechanisms giving rise to insightfulrnproblem solving are largely unknown, although modelsrnhave been proposed that suggest phases of incubation,rnrestructuring, and insight. Here, we propose a singlerncomputational mechanism that models the dynamics ofrnstructuring percepts to create an internal beliefrnrepresentation and subsequent restructuring of that beliefrnrepresentation, in which evidence for restructuring arnrepresentation is accumulated through trial-and-errorrnattempts to solve the problem. Restructuring gives rise torna macroscopically observable incubation period followedrnby sudden emergence of a solution. The computationalrnmechanism is evaluated through modeling of the nine-dotrnproblem, a classic insight problem. Evidence supportingrnthe notion of partial reward, a key concept in therncomputational mechanism, is observed in the progressionrnto a solution of subjects engaged in the nine dot problem.rnThe results of the model show that complex, high-levelrncognitive processes may emerge from simple underlyingrncomputational mechanisms.