|
1
|
Kugel J, Laukkonen RE, Yaden DB, Yücel M, Liknaitzky P. Insights on psychedelics: A systematic review of therapeutic effects. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2025; 173:106117. [PMID: 40127876 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2025] [Accepted: 03/16/2025] [Indexed: 03/26/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insight - a sudden change in understanding or perspective that feels true or reliable - is a common occurrence during psychedelic experiences, and often considered by clinicians and patients to be central to their therapeutic value. However, their occurrence and role has not been systematically assessed. OBJECTIVES We reviewed all peer-reviewed studies that published data on insight catalysed by a classic psychedelic at psychoactive levels to elucidate several aspects of psychedelic-catalysed insight, including its prevalence, relationship to dose, time-course, and relationship to therapeutic outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed regarding selection, reliability, causality, and transparency. PROSPERO registration: CRD42023405854 FINDINGS: The final database and key bibliography searches were completed on July 13, 2024. We screened 741 abstracts and included 98 studies (40 survey, 58 interventional). Insight was positively correlated with psychedelic dose, and was significantly higher following psychedelics in 43 of 46 (93 %) studies that presented a comparison to a placebo condition. Crucially, 25 of 29 studies (86 %) found that insight was associated with therapeutic improvement, and this relationship was often stronger than mystical-type experience, which has received more research attention. INTERPRETATION This review indicates that psychedelic-catalysed insight is associated with therapeutic improvement, suggesting its importance for clinical practice and for understanding the mechanisms of psychedelic therapy. LIMITATIONS Heterogeneous study designs and operationalisations of insight precluded a meta-analytic summary. Publication bias and selective reporting is possible, given insight was typically not a primary outcome of the included studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Kugel
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia.
| | | | - David B Yaden
- Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, United States
| | - Murat Yücel
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Australia
| | - Paul Liknaitzky
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Tulver K, Kaup KK, Aru J. The road to Aha: A recipe for mental breakthroughs. Cognition 2025; 257:106081. [PMID: 39933209 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2025] [Indexed: 02/13/2025]
Abstract
We present a novel framework for understanding the diverse spectrum of mental breakthrough events, ranging from problem-solving insights to profound personal transformations. We propose that these events, while varied in expression and impact, share common underlying mechanisms of representational change. We also hypothesise that the differences in phenomenological intensity can be conceptualized along a continuum. Central to our model are three core components - tension, altered salience, and enhanced flexibility - which we identify as essential prerequisites for significant cognitive restructuring. These components interact within an iterative cycle, influencing both the emergence and nature of insight experiences. Drawing on examples from different fields, we explore how a conflict between existing models can trigger this cycle, wherein mechanisms of attention allocation and relaxation of constraints work in tandem to facilitate the emergence of insights. Furthermore, we propose that the intensity of the "aha-moment" and the breadth of its impact are contingent on how central the conflict is within one's conceptual landscape and the extent to which existing mental models are challenged. Thus, the model accounts for both the subtle, momentary insights in problem-solving and the transformative realizations that reshape core beliefs and self-perception. By synthesising insights from various domains, including psychotherapy, contemplative science, and psychedelic research, we present a theoretical account with broad scope, aiming to shed light on the complex processes that can lead to a wide array of mental breakthroughs, thereby contributing to the understanding of insight phenomena across disciplines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kadi Tulver
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia.
| | | | - Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia
| |
Collapse
|
|
3
|
Chao ZC, Hsieh FY, Wu CT. Long-distance exploration in insightful problem-solving. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2025; 3:53. [PMID: 40140616 PMCID: PMC11947100 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-025-00235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2025] [Indexed: 03/28/2025]
Abstract
Insight represents a sudden and profound understanding, offering a new perspective that can offer the solution to a previously intractable problem. Insight is tightly associated with an "Aha" experience. Although various theories have attempted to explain how insight emerges, the dynamic search process leading to insight remains poorly understood, primarily due to the complex nature of creative problem-solving. In this study, we employ two versions of the Japanese remote associates test (RAT) (n = 349 and n = 105 participants, respectively), alongside a simulation model. This allows us to quantitatively manipulate the constraints imposed on the problem and to track the search process within the solution space. Our findings indicate that the insight and the accompanying "Aha" moment are characterized by exploration that spans greater distances within the solution space, thereby increasing the number of potential solutions available for evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zenas C Chao
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | | | - Chien-Te Wu
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
4
|
Aicher HD, Müller F, Gasser P. Further education in psychedelic-assisted therapy - experiences from Switzerland. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2025; 25:341. [PMID: 40045361 PMCID: PMC11881254 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-025-06871-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2025] [Indexed: 03/09/2025]
Abstract
The growing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) for treating psychiatric disorders such as treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety has led to an increasing demand for specialized training. In Switzerland, MDMA, psilocybin, and LSD are applied in the framework of limited medical use as exceptional treatment options since 2014. The Swiss Medical Association for Psychedelic Therapy (SÄPT) has been a key player in addressing the need for education, offering a comprehensive, three-year training program for physicians and psychologists. This curriculum integrates theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience, emphasizing the therapeutic relationship, ethical considerations, and the management of altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelics. This article gives an overview of the structure and framework of the training and addresses topics covered by the program through theoretical teaching and retreats focusing on practical learning. However, the demand for these programs far exceeds supply. This gap is expected to widen as psychedelics potentially become regulated prescription medications. In response, several organizations have expanded their educational offerings, including further education trainings, workshops, conferences, and symposia. Overall, there is a need for more comprehensive and accessible training programs to meet the growing demand. The evolving landscape of psychedelic research, regulatory changes, and diverse patient populations require flexible and adaptive training models. As the field progresses, it is essential to establish certification standards and ensure the continued quality of training programs to ensure the safe and effective use of PAT in clinical trials and practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H D Aicher
- Swiss Medical Society for Psychedelic Therapy (SÄPT), Berne, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Center for Substance-Assisted Therapy, Division of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Psychedelic Research and Therapy Development, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - F Müller
- Swiss Medical Society for Psychedelic Therapy (SÄPT), Berne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Center for Substance-Assisted Therapy, Division of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - P Gasser
- Swiss Medical Society for Psychedelic Therapy (SÄPT), Berne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
|
5
|
Dawson C, Julku H, Pihlajamäki M, Kaakinen JK, Schooler JW, Simola J. Evidence-based scientific thinking and decision-making in everyday life. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2024; 9:50. [PMID: 39110276 PMCID: PMC11306497 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-024-00578-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In today's knowledge economy, it is critical to make decisions based on high-quality evidence. Science-related decision-making is thought to rely on a complex interplay of reasoning skills, cognitive styles, attitudes, and motivations toward information. By investigating the relationship between individual differences and behaviors related to evidence-based decision-making, our aim was to better understand how adults engage with scientific information in everyday life. First, we used a data-driven exploratory approach to identify four latent factors in a large set of measures related to cognitive skills and epistemic attitudes. The resulting structure suggests that key factors include curiosity and positive attitudes toward science, prosociality, cognitive skills, and openmindedness to new information. Second, we investigated whether these factors predicted behavior in a naturalistic decision-making task. In the task, participants were introduced to a real science-related petition and were asked to read six online articles related to the petition, which varied in scientific quality, while deciding how to vote. We demonstrate that curiosity and positive science attitudes, cognitive flexibility, prosociality and emotional states, were related to engaging with information and discernment of evidence reliability. We further found that that social authority is a powerful cue for source credibility, even above the actual quality and relevance of the sources. Our results highlight that individual motivating factors toward information engagement, like curiosity, and social factors such as social authority are important drivers of how adults judge the credibility of everyday sources of scientific information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Dawson
- Department of Education, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 3A, 00170, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Hanna Julku
- Department of Education, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 3A, 00170, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Milla Pihlajamäki
- Department of Education, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 3A, 00170, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna K Kaakinen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
- INVEST Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Jonathan W Schooler
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Building 251, Santa Barbara, 93106, USA
| | - Jaana Simola
- Department of Education, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 3A, 00170, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
|
6
|
McGovern HT, Grimmer HJ, Doss MK, Hutchinson BT, Timmermann C, Lyon A, Corlett PR, Laukkonen RE. An Integrated theory of false insights and beliefs under psychedelics. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 2:69. [PMID: 39242747 PMCID: PMC11332244 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00120-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Psychedelics are recognised for their potential to re-orient beliefs. We propose a model of how psychedelics can, in some cases, lead to false insights and thus false beliefs. We first review experimental work on laboratory-based false insights and false memories. We then connect this to insights and belief formation under psychedelics using the active inference framework. We propose that subjective and brain-based alterations caused by psychedelics increases the quantity and subjective intensity of insights and thence beliefs, including false ones. We offer directions for future research in minimising the risk of false and potentially harmful beliefs arising from psychedelics. Ultimately, knowing how psychedelics may facilitate false insights and beliefs is crucial if we are to optimally leverage their therapeutic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H T McGovern
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- The Cairnmillar Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - H J Grimmer
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - M K Doss
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic Research & Therapy, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - B T Hutchinson
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Timmermann
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - A Lyon
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - P R Corlett
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - R E Laukkonen
- Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
|
7
|
Van de Cruys S, Bervoets J, Gadsby S, Gijbels D, Poels K. Insight in the Conspiracist's Mind. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2024; 28:302-324. [PMID: 37776304 DOI: 10.1177/10888683231203145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Academic AbstractThe motto of the conspiracist, "Do your own research," may seem ludicrous to scientists. Indeed, it is often dismissed as a mere rhetorical device that conspiracists use to give themselves the semblance of science. In this perspective paper, we explore the information-seeking activities ("research") that conspiracists do engage in. Drawing on the experimental psychology of aha experiences, we explain how these activities, as well as the epistemic experiences that precede (curiosity) or follow (insight or "aha" experiences) them, may play a crucial role in the appeal and development of conspiracy beliefs. Aha moments have properties that can be exploited by conspiracy theories, such as the potential for false but seemingly grounded conclusions. Finally, we hypothesize that the need for autonomous epistemic agency and discovery is universal but increases as people experience more uncertainty and/or feel epistemically excluded in society, hence linking it to existing literature on explaining conspiracy theories.
Collapse
|
|
8
|
Lewis-Healey E, Tagliazucchi E, Canales-Johnson A, Bekinschtein TA. Breathwork-induced psychedelic experiences modulate neural dynamics. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae347. [PMID: 39191666 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Breathwork is an understudied school of practices involving intentional respiratory modulation to induce an altered state of consciousness (ASC). We simultaneously investigate the phenomenological and neural dynamics of breathwork by combining Temporal Experience Tracing, a quantitative methodology that preserves the temporal dynamics of subjective experience, with low-density portable EEG devices. Fourteen novice participants completed a course of up to 28 breathwork sessions-of 20, 40, or 60 min-in 28 days, yielding a neurophenomenological dataset of 301 breathwork sessions. Using hypothesis-driven and data-driven approaches, we found that "psychedelic-like" subjective experiences were associated with increased neural Lempel-Ziv complexity during breathwork. Exploratory analyses showed that the aperiodic exponent of the power spectral density-but not oscillatory alpha power-yielded similar neurophenomenological associations. Non-linear neural features, like complexity and the aperiodic exponent, neurally map both a multidimensional data-driven composite of positive experiences, and hypothesis-driven aspects of psychedelic-like experience states such as high bliss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan Lewis-Healey
- Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, Downing Place, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Consciousness, Culture and Complexity Lab, Department of Physics, Pabellón I, University of Buenos Aires, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, 7910000, Chile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Vito Dumas 284, B1644BID Victoria, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andres Canales-Johnson
- Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, Downing Place, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
- The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, 3460000, Talca, Chile
| | - Tristan A Bekinschtein
- Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, Downing Place, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
|
9
|
Stuyck H, Demeyer F, Bratanov C, Cleeremans A, Van den Bussche E. Insight and non-insight problem solving: A heart rate variability study. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:1462-1484. [PMID: 37688497 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231202519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Occasionally, problems are solved with a sudden Aha! moment (insight), while the mundane approach to solving problems is analytical (non-insight). At first glance, non-insight appears to depend on the availability and taxation of cognitive resources to execute the step-by-step approach, whereas insight does not, or to a lesser extent. However, this remains debated. To investigate the reliance of both solution types on cognitive resources, we assessed the involvement of the prefrontal cortex using vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) as an index. Participants (N = 68) solved 70 compound remote associates word puzzles solvable with insight and non-insight. Before, during, and after solving the word puzzles, we measured the vmHRV. Our results showed that resting-state vmHRV (trait) showed a negative association with behavioural performance for both solution types. This might reflect inter-individual differences in inhibitory control. As the solution search requires one to think of remote associations, inhibitory control might hamper rather than aid this process. Furthermore, we observed, for both solution types, a vmHRV increase from resting-state to solution search (state), lingering on in the post-task recovery period. This could mark the increase of prefrontal resources to promote an open-minded stance, essential for divergent thinking, which arguably is crucial for this task. Our findings suggest that, at a general level, both solution types share common aspects. However, a closer analysis of early and late solutions and puzzle difficulty suggested that metacognitive differentiation between insight and non-insight improved with higher trait vmHRV, and that a unique association between trait vmHRV and puzzle difficulty was present for each solution type.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hans Stuyck
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Febe Demeyer
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christo Bratanov
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Axel Cleeremans
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Eva Van den Bussche
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
|
10
|
Barot C, Chevalier L, Martin L, Izard V. "Now I Get It!": Eureka Experiences During the Acquisition of Mathematical Concepts. Open Mind (Camb) 2024; 8:17-41. [PMID: 38419791 PMCID: PMC10898616 DOI: 10.1162/opmi_a_00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Many famous scientists have reported anecdotes where a new understanding occurred to them suddenly, in an unexpected flash. Do people generally experience such "Eureka" moments when learning science concepts? And if so, do these episodes truly vehicle sudden insights, or is this impression illusory? To address these questions, we developed a paradigm where participants were taught the mathematical concept of geodesic, which generalizes the common notion of straight line to straight trajectories drawn on curved surfaces. After studying lessons introducing this concept on the sphere, participants (N = 56) were tested on their understanding of geodesics on the sphere and on other surfaces. Our findings indicate that Eureka experiences are common when learning mathematics, with reports by 34 (61%) participants. Moreover, Eureka experiences proved an accurate description of participants' learning, in two respects. First, Eureka experiences were associated with learning and generalization: the participants who reported experiencing Eurekas performed better at identifying counterintuitive geodesics on new surfaces. Second, and in line with the firstperson experience of a sudden insight, our findings suggest that the learning mechanisms responsible for Eureka experiences are inaccessible to reflective introspection. Specifically, reports of Eureka experiences and of participants' confidence in their own understanding were associated with different profiles of performance, indicating that the mechanisms bringing about Eureka experiences and those informing reflective confidence were at least partially dissociated. Learning mathematical concepts thus appears to involve mechanisms that operate unconsciously, except when a key computational step is reached and a sudden insight breaks into consciousness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Barot
- Université Paris Cité, INCC UMR 8002, CNRS, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Louise Chevalier
- Université Paris Cité, INCC UMR 8002, CNRS, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Lucie Martin
- Université Paris Cité, INCC UMR 8002, CNRS, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Véronique Izard
- Université Paris Cité, INCC UMR 8002, CNRS, F-75006 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
|
11
|
Harada T. Q-learning model of insight problem solving and the effects of learning traits on creativity. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1287624. [PMID: 38259581 PMCID: PMC10800724 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1287624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the fact that insight is a crucial component of creative thought, the means by which it is cultivated remain unknown. The effects of learning traits on insight, specifically, has not been the subject of investigation in pertinent research. This study quantitatively examines the effects of individual differences in learning traits estimated using a Q-learning model within the reinforcement learning framework and evaluates their effects on insight problem solving in two tasks, the 8-coin and 9-dot problems, which fall under the umbrella term "spatial insight problems." Although the learning characteristics of the two problems were different, the results showed that there was a transfer of learning between them. In particular, performance on the insight tasks improved with increasing experience. Moreover, loss-taking, as opposed to loss aversion, had a significant effect on performance in both tasks, depending on the amount of experience one had. It is hypothesized that loss acceptance facilitates analogical transfer between the two tasks and improves performance. In addition, this is one of the few studies that attempted to analyze insight problems using a computational approach. This approach allows the identification of the underlying learning parameters for insight problem solving.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Harada
- Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
|
12
|
Brashier NM, Ho CH, Hogue TK, Schacter DL. Retrieval fluency inflates perceived preparation for difficult problems. Memory 2024; 32:83-89. [PMID: 38109129 PMCID: PMC10865271 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2284401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
When faced with a difficult problem, people often rely on past experiences. While remembering clearly helps us reach solutions, can retrieval also lead to misperceptions of our abilities? In three experiments, participants encountered "worst case scenarios" they likely had never experienced and that would be difficult to navigate without extensive training (e.g., bitten by snake). Learning brief tips improved problem-solving performance later, but retrieval increased feelings of preparation by an even larger margin. This gap occurred regardless of whether people thought that tips came from an expert or another participant in the study, and it did not reflect mere familiarity with the problems themselves. Instead, our results suggest that the ease experienced while remembering, or retrieval fluency, inflated feelings of preparation.
Collapse
|
|
13
|
Vitello M, Salvi C. Gestalt's Perspective on Insight: A Recap Based on Recent Behavioral and Neuroscientific Evidence. J Intell 2023; 11:224. [PMID: 38132842 PMCID: PMC10743969 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11120224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gestalt psychologists' theory of insight problem-solving was based on a direct parallelism between perceptual experience and higher-order forms of cognition (e.g., problem-solving). Similarly, albeit not exclusively, to the sudden recognition of bistable figures, these psychologists contended that problem-solving involves a restructuring of one's initial representation of the problem's elements, leading to a sudden leap of understanding phenomenologically indexed by the "Aha!" feeling. Over the last century, different scholars have discussed the validity of the Gestalt psychologists' perspective, foremost using the behavioral measures available at the time. However, in the last two decades, scientists have gained a deeper understanding of insight problem-solving due to the advancements in cognitive neuroscience. This review aims to provide a retrospective reading of Gestalt theory based on the knowledge accrued by adopting novel paradigms of research and investigating their neurophysiological correlates. Among several key points that the Gestalt psychologists underscored, we focus specifically on the role of the visual system in marking a discrete switch of knowledge into awareness, as well as the perceptual experience and holistic standpoints. While the main goal of this paper is to read the previous theory in light of new evidence, we also hope to initiate an academic discussion and encourage further research about the points we raise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Vitello
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Carola Salvi
- Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, John Cabot University, 00165 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
14
|
Becker M, Yu Y, Cabeza R. The influence of insight on risky decision making and nucleus accumbens activation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17159. [PMID: 37821507 PMCID: PMC10567742 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44293-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
During insightful problem solving, the solution appears unexpectedly and is accompanied by the feeling of an AHA!. Research suggests that this affective component of insight can have consequences beyond the solution itself by motivating future behavior, such as risky (high reward and high uncertainty) decision making. Here, we investigate the behavioral and neural support for the motivational role of AHA in decision making involving monetary choices. The positive affect of the AHA! experience has been linked to internal reward. Reward in turn has been linked to dopaminergic signal transmission in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) and risky decision making. Therefore, we hypothesized that insight activates reward-related brain areas, modulating risky decision making. We tested this hypothesis in two studies. First, in a pre-registered online study (Study 1), we demonstrated the behavioral effect of insight-related increase in risky decision making using a visual Mooney identification paradigm. Participants were more likely to choose the riskier monetary payout when they had previously solved the Mooney image with high compared to low accompanied AHA!. Second, in an fMRI study (Study 2), we measured the effects of insight on NAcc activity using a similar Mooney identification paradigm to the one of Study 1. Greater NAcc activity was found when participants solved the Mooney image with high vs low AHA!. Taken together, our results link insight to enhanced NAcc activity and a preference for high but uncertain rewards, suggesting that insight enhances reward-related brain areas possibly via dopaminergic signal transmission, promoting risky decision making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxi Becker
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, 10099, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Yuhua Yu
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Roberto Cabeza
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, 10099, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
15
|
Laukkonen RE, Webb M, Salvi C, Tangen JM, Slagter HA, Schooler JW. Insight and the selection of ideas. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105363. [PMID: 37598874 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Perhaps it is no accident that insight moments accompany some of humanity's most important discoveries in science, medicine, and art. Here we propose that feelings of insight play a central role in (heuristically) selecting an idea from the stream of consciousness by capturing attention and eliciting a sense of intuitive confidence permitting fast action under uncertainty. The mechanisms underlying this Eureka heuristic are explained within an active inference framework. First, implicit restructuring via Bayesian reduction leads to a higher-order prediction error (i.e., the content of insight). Second, dopaminergic precision-weighting of the prediction error accounts for the intuitive confidence, pleasure, and attentional capture (i.e., the feeling of insight). This insight as precision account is consistent with the phenomenology, accuracy, and neural unfolding of insight, as well as its effects on belief and decision-making. We conclude by reflecting on dangers of the Eureka Heuristic, including the arising and entrenchment of false beliefs and the vulnerability of insights under psychoactive substances and misinformation.
Collapse
|
|
16
|
Yu Y, Salvi C, Becker M, Beeman M. Solving problems with an Aha! increases risk preference. THINKING & REASONING 2023; 30:509-530. [PMID: 39309247 PMCID: PMC11412399 DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2023.2259552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Solving problems with insight culminates in an "Aha! moment": a feeling of confidence and pleasure. In daily life, insights are often followed by important decisions, such as deciding what to do with a new idea. Here, we investigated whether having an Aha! moment affects subsequent decision-making. Because Aha! moments tend to elicit positive affect, which is generally associated with an increased risk-taking tendency, we hypothesized that people would favor a monetary payout with more upside despite greater uncertainty after solving a problem with insight. Participants were asked to solve verbal puzzles and report whether they solved them with insight or without insight. After each puzzle, they chose between two bonuses: a fixed payout or a risk payout with 50% chance of receiving a high or a low payout. Participants were more likely to choose the risk payout after they solved with insight compared to without, suggesting a temporarily higher risk preference. The study provided preliminary evidence of a carryover effect - the impact of an Aha! moment on the subsequent risk choice - that can have implications in everyday decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Yu
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | - Carola Salvi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, John Cabot University, Rome
| | - Maxi Becker
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin
| | - Mark Beeman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| |
Collapse
|
|
17
|
Chesebrough C, Chrysikou EG, Holyoak KJ, Zhang F, Kounios J. Conceptual Change Induced by Analogical Reasoning Sparks Aha Moments. CREATIVITY RESEARCH JOURNAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2023.2188361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
|
|
18
|
Tulver K, Kaup KK, Laukkonen R, Aru J. Restructuring insight: An integrative review of insight in problem-solving, meditation, psychotherapy, delusions and psychedelics. Conscious Cogn 2023; 110:103494. [PMID: 36913839 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Occasionally, a solution or idea arrives as a sudden understanding - an insight. Insight has been considered an "extra" ingredient of creative thinking and problem-solving. Here we propose that insight is central in seemingly distinct areas of research. Drawing on literature from a variety of fields, we show that besides being commonly studied in problem-solving literature, insight is also a core component in psychotherapy and meditation, a key process underlying the emergence of delusions in schizophrenia, and a factor in the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. In each case, we discuss the event of insight and its prerequisites and consequences. We review evidence for the commonalities and differences between the fields and discuss their relevance for capturing the essence of the insight phenomenon. The goal of this integrative review is to bridge the gap between the different views and inspire interdisciplinary research efforts for understanding this central process of human cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kadi Tulver
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia.
| | | | | | - Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia.
| |
Collapse
|
|
19
|
Prull MW, Liu Y, Adhikari N, Higdon SA, Stewart KS, Calo ZR. Can divided attention at retrieval improve memory? Effects of target detection during recognition. Memory 2023; 31:573-587. [PMID: 36866615 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2184458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
The attentional boost effect (ABE) is an improvement of memory under divided attention conditions in which stimulus encoding is enhanced when a target is detected in a simultaneous target-monitoring distracting task. Here we asked whether memory is similarly improved when the target-monitoring task occurs at the time of retrieval. In four experiments, participants encoded words under full attention then completed a recognition test under either divided attention, during which participants made recognition judgments while performing the target-monitoring task, or full attention, in which the target-monitoring task was not performed. Relative to distractor rejection, target detection increased hits and false alarms under divided attention with no net effect on discrimination. Targets and distractors had no effect on recognition under full attention. The target-related increase in hits and false alarms occurred regardless of whether the target-monitoring material matched or mismatched the test material and regardless of the target-to-distractor ratio and the target response. A change in bias accounts for the phenomenon, in which participants adopt a more lenient criterion for target-paired words than for distractor-paired words. The same divided attention manipulation that enhances memory at encoding does not similarly enhance memory at retrieval. Theoretical explanations are discussed.
Collapse
|
|
20
|
Ontological Adaptation in Transition to Adulthood: A Theoretical Framework for Integrating Phenomenology and Neuroscience in Psychosis Research. J Nerv Ment Dis 2023; 211:95-99. [PMID: 36716063 PMCID: PMC9897446 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
In this theoretical review, the neurodevelopmental model of psychotic disorders is considered within the framework of ontological development, referring to the individual-level construction of a sense of reality regarding identity and worldview. Following Erikson's theory of development, the challenge of forging a personal and social identity is a developmental process typical of late adolescence and early adulthood. Accompanying this process is a developmentally normal increase in exploratory and risk-taking behavior, which sometimes includes challenging and defying cultural norms. Although many aspects of ontological adaptation are developmentally appropriate, we argue that psychopathology such as psychosis can be rooted in an abnormal deviation of this process, in which aberrant salience accelerates the typical drive to develop a meaningful sense of identity, leading to delusion formation. By placing psychosis onset within a broader context of normal development, this model offers a humanistic approach for understanding experiences of new onset of psychotic disorders.
Collapse
|
|
21
|
Salvi C, Barr N, Dunsmoor JE, Grafman J. Insight Problem Solving Ability Predicts Reduced Susceptibility to Fake News, Bullshit, and Overclaiming. THINKING & REASONING 2022; 29:760-784. [PMID: 37982007 PMCID: PMC10655953 DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2022.2146191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The information humans are exposed to has grown exponentially. This has placed increased demands upon our information selection strategies resulting in reduced fact-checking and critical-thinking time. Prior research shows that problem solving (traditionally measured using the Cognitive Reflection Test-CRT) negatively correlates with believing in false information. We argue that this result is specifically related to insight problem solving. Solutions via insight are the result of parallel processing, characterized by filtering external noise, and, unlike cognitively controlled thinking, it does not suffer from the cognitive overload associated with processing multiple sources of information. We administered the Compound Remote Associate Test (problems used to investigate insight problem solving) as well as the CRT, 20 fake and real news headlines, the bullshit, and overclaiming scales to a sample of 61 participants. Results show that insight problem solving predicts better identification of fake news and bullshit (over and above traditional measures i.e., the CRT), and is associated with reduced overclaiming. These results have implications for understanding individual differences in susceptibility to believing false information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carola Salvi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy
| | - Nathaniel Barr
- School of Humanities and Creativity, Sheridan College, ON, Canada
| | - Joseph E. Dunsmoor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
22
|
Savinova A, Korovkin S. Surprise! Why Insightful Solution Is Pleasurable. J Intell 2022; 10:jintelligence10040098. [PMID: 36412778 PMCID: PMC9680332 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence10040098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Insight problems-as a type of ill-defined problems-are often solved without an articulate plan, and finding their solution is accompanied by the Aha! experience (positive feeling from suddenly finding a solution). However, the solution of such problems can also be guided, for example, by expectations in terms of criteria for achieving the goal. We hypothesize that adjusting the expectation accuracy based on the reward prediction error (discrepancy between the reward and its prediction) affects the strength of affective components of the Aha! experience (pleasure and surprise), allowing to learn how to solve similar problems. We manipulated expectation accuracy by varying the similarity in problem solution principle and structure in a short learning set. Each set was followed by a critical problem where both the structure and solution principle were changed (except for control set). Subjective feelings, solution time, and expectation were measured after each problem. The results revealed that problems with similarities become more expected at the end of the set and their solution time is decreased. However, the critical problem featured a rapid increase in pleasure and surprise and decrease in expectedness only in the condition where both the solution principle and structure were expected, suggesting that problem structure is a key feature determining expectedness in insight problem solving. The Aha! experience is not an epiphenomenon; it plays a role in learning of problem solving through adjusting expectations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Savinova
- Laboratory for Cognitive Research, Yaroslavl State University, pr-d Matrosova, 9, 204, 150057 Yaroslavl, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Sergei Korovkin
- Laboratory for Cognitive Research, Yaroslavl State University, pr-d Matrosova, 9, 204, 150057 Yaroslavl, Russia
- Department of Psychology, Yaroslavl State University, pr-d Matrosova, 9, 204, 150057 Yaroslavl, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
|
23
|
Timmermann C, Watts R, Dupuis D. Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. Transcult Psychiatry 2022; 59:691-704. [PMID: 35313754 PMCID: PMC9660279 DOI: 10.1177/13634615221082796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A striking feature of psychedelics is their ability to increase attribution of truth and meaningfulness to specific contents and ideas experienced, which may persist long after psychedelic effects have subsided. We propose that processes underlying conferral of meaning and truth in psychedelic experiences may act as a double-edged sword: while these may drive important therapeutic benefits, they also raise important considerations regarding the validation and mediation of knowledge gained during these experiences. Specifically, the ability of psychedelics to induce noetic feelings of revelation may enhance the significance and attribution of reality to specific beliefs, worldviews, and apparent memories which might exacerbate the risk of iatrogenic complications that other psychotherapeutic approaches have historically faced, such as false memory syndrome. These considerations are timely, as the use of psychedelics is becoming increasingly mainstream, in an environment marked by the emergence of strong commercial interest for psychedelic therapy. We elaborate on these ethical challenges via three examples illustrating issues of validation and mediation in therapeutic, neo-shamanic and research contexts involving psychedelic use. Finally, we propose a pragmatic framework to attend to these challenges based on an ethical approach which considers the embeddedness of psychedelic experiences within larger historical and cultural contexts, their intersubjective character and the use of practices which we conceptualise here as forms of psychedelic apprenticeship. This notion of apprenticeship goes beyond current approaches of preparation and integration by stressing the central importance of validation practices based on empathic resonance by an experienced therapist or guide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Timmermann
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Brain Sciences,
Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Rosalind Watts
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Brain Sciences,
Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David Dupuis
- Department of Anthropology/Hearing the voice, Durham University, Durham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
|
24
|
Grimmer HJ, Laukkonen RE, Freydenzon A, von Hippel W, Tangen JM. Thinking style and psychosis proneness do not predict false insights. Conscious Cogn 2022; 104:103384. [PMID: 35933801 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The FIAT paradigm (Grimmer et al., 2021) is a novel method of eliciting 'Aha' moments for incorrect solutions to anagrams in the laboratory, i.e. false insights. There exist many documented reports of psychotic symptoms accompanying strong feelings of 'Aha!' (Feyaerts, Henriksen, Vanheule, Myin-Germeys, & Sass, 2021; Mishara, 2010; Tulver, Kaup, Laukkonen, & Aru, 2021), suggesting that the newly developed FIAT could reveal whether people who have more false insights are more prone to psychosis and delusional belief. To test this possibility, we recruited 200 participants to take an adapted version of the FIAT and complete measures of thinking style and psychosis proneness. We found no association between experimentally induced false insights and measures of Schizotypy, Need for Cognition, Jumping to Conclusions, Aberrant Salience, Faith in Intuition, or the Cognitive Reflection Task. We conclude that experiencing false insights might not be constrained to any particular type of person, but rather, may arise for anyone under the right circumstances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Freydenzon
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Jason M Tangen
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
|
25
|
Moroshkina NV, Savina AI, Ammalainen AV, Gershkovich VA, Zverev IV, Lvova OV. How Difficult Was It? Metacognitive Judgments About Problems and Their Solutions After the Aha Moment. Front Psychol 2022; 13:911904. [PMID: 35814152 PMCID: PMC9258945 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.911904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The insight phenomenon is thought to comprise two components: cognitive and affective (the Aha! experience). The exact nature of the Aha! experience remains unclear; however, several explanations have been put forward. Based on the processing fluency account, the source of the Aha! experience is a sudden increase in processing fluency, associated with emerging of a solution. We hypothesized that in a situation which the Aha! experience accompanies the solution in, the problem would be judged as less difficult, regardless of the objective difficulty. We also planned to confirm previously discovered associations between the Aha! experience and accuracy, confidence, and pleasure. To test the proposed hypothesis, during the preliminary stage of the study, we developed a set of 100 remote associate problems in Russian (RAT-RUS) and asked 125 participants to solve problems and indicate the Aha! moment (after solution generation or solution presentation), confidence, difficulty, and likability of each problem. As expected, the Aha! experience often accompanied correct solutions and correlated with confidence judgments. We also found a positive correlation between the Aha! experience and problem likability. As for the main hypothesis, we confirmed that the Aha! experience after the presentation of the solution was associated with a decrease in subjective difficulty. When participants could not solve a problem but experienced the Aha! moment after the solution was presented to them, the problem was perceived as easier than one without the Aha! experience. We didn’t find the same effect for the Aha! after solution generation. Thus, our study partially supports the processing fluency account and demonstrates the association between the Aha! experience and metacognitive judgments about the accuracy and difficulty of problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda V. Moroshkina
- The Department of Psychology, St Petersburg University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- *Correspondence: Nadezhda V. Moroshkina,
| | - Alina I. Savina
- The Department of Psychology, St Petersburg University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Alina I. Savina,
| | - Artur V. Ammalainen
- The Department of Psychology, St Petersburg University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Ilia V. Zverev
- HSE Lyceum, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V. Lvova
- The Department of Psychology, St Petersburg University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
|
26
|
González-Rodríguez A, Seeman MV. Differences between delusional disorder and schizophrenia: A mini narrative review. World J Psychiatry 2022; 12:683-692. [PMID: 35663297 PMCID: PMC9150033 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i5.683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychotic syndromes are divided into affective and non-affective forms. Even among the non-affective forms, substantial differences exist. The aim of this relatively brief review is to synthesize what is known about the differences between two non-affective psychoses, schizophrenia and delusional disorder (DD), with respect to clinical, epidemiological, sociodemographic, and treatment response characteristics. A PubMed literature search revealed the following: in schizophrenia, hallucinations, negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms are prominent. They are rare in DD. Compared to schizophrenia patients, individuals with DD maintain relatively good function, and their delusions are believable; many are beliefs that are widely held in the general population. Treatments are generally similar in these two forms of psychosis, with the exception that antidepressants are used more frequently in DD and, for acute treatment, effective antipsychotic doses are lower in DD than in schizophrenia. It is with the hope that the contrasts between these two conditions will aid in the provision of safe and effective treatment for both that this review has been conducted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre González-Rodríguez
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08280, Spain
| | - Mary V Seeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto M5P 3L6, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
|
27
|
Laukkonen RE, Kaveladze BT, Protzko J, Tangen JM, von Hippel W, Schooler JW. Irrelevant insights make worldviews ring true. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2075. [PMID: 35136131 PMCID: PMC8826315 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05923-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Our basic beliefs about reality can be impossible to prove and yet we can feel a strong intuitive conviction about them, as exemplified by insights that imbue an idea with immediate certainty. Here we presented participants with worldview beliefs such as "people's core qualities are fixed" and simultaneously elicited an aha moment. In the first experiment (N = 3000, which included a direct replication), participants rated worldview beliefs as truer when they solved anagrams and also experienced aha moments. A second experiment (N = 1564) showed that the worldview statement and the aha moment must be perceived simultaneously for this 'insight misattribution' effect to occur. These results demonstrate that artificially induced aha moments can make worldview beliefs seem truer, possibly because humans partially rely on feelings of insight to appraise an idea's veracity. Feelings of insight are therefore not epiphenomenal and should be investigated for their effects on decisions, beliefs, and delusions.
Collapse
|
|
28
|
Abstract
The insight experience (or ‘Aha moment’) generally evokes strong feelings of certainty and confidence. An ‘Aha’ experience for a false idea could underlie many false beliefs and delusions. However, for as long as insight experiences have been studied, false insights have remained difficult to elicit experimentally. That difficulty, in turn, highlights the fact that we know little about what causes people to experience a false insight. Across two experiments (total N = 300), we developed and tested a new paradigm to elicit false insights. In Experiment 1 we used a combination of semantic priming and visual similarity to elicit feelings of insight for incorrect solutions to anagrams. These false insights were relatively common but were experienced as weaker than correct ones. In Experiment 2 we replicated the findings of Experiment 1 and found that semantic priming and visual similarity interacted to produce false insights. These studies highlight the importance of misleading semantic processing and the feasibility of the solution in the generation of false insights.
Collapse
|
|
29
|
Thomas C, Botella M, Didierjean A. Fooling System 1 in the field of perception: Failure to intuitively detect attribute substitution in the flushtration count illusion. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2022; 75:2149-2158. [PMID: 34904457 DOI: 10.1177/17470218211069381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To facilitate our interactions with the surroundings, the human brain sometimes reshapes the situations that it faces to simplify them. This phenomenon has been widely studied in the context of reasoning, especially through the attribute substitution error. It has however been given much less attention in the field of perception. Recent research on the bat-and-ball problem suggests that reasoners are able to intuitively detect attribute substitution errors. Using a perceptual illusion drawn from the field of magic, we investigate the extent to which a perceptual form of attribute substitution depends on executive resources and can be detected. We also investigate the relationship between susceptibility to attribute substitution error in the flushtration count illusion and in a French adaptation of the bat-and-ball problem. Finally, we investigate the link between the intuitive cognitive style (assessed by the cognitive reflection test) and the susceptibility to the flushtration count illusion. Our results suggest that participants do not detect perceptual attribute substitution error, that this phenomenon could be independent of the executive resources allocated to the task, and could rest on mechanisms distinct from those that produce errors in reasoning. We discuss differences between these two phenomena, and factors that may explain them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Thomas
- Laboratoire LAPEA, Université de Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.,IFSTTAR, Université Gustave Eiffel, Versailles, France
| | - Marion Botella
- Laboratoire LAPEA, Université de Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.,IFSTTAR, Université Gustave Eiffel, Versailles, France
| | - André Didierjean
- Laboratoire de Psychologie & MSHE, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| |
Collapse
|
|
30
|
Aha! under pressure: The Aha! experience is not constrained by cognitive load. Cognition 2021; 219:104946. [PMID: 34891110 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Aha! moment- the sudden insight sometimes reached when solving a vexing problem- entails a different problem-solving experience than solution retrieval reached by an analytical, multistep strategy (i.e., non-insight). To date, the (un)conscious nature of insight remains debated. We addressed this by studying insight under cognitive load. If insight and non-insight problem solving rely on conscious, effortful processes, they should both be influenced by a concurrent cognitive load. However, if unconscious processes characterize insight, cognitive load might not affect it at all. Using a dual-task paradigm, young, healthy adults (N = 106) solved 70 word puzzles under different cognitive loads. We confirmed that insight solutions were more often correct and received higher solution confidence. Importantly, as cognitive load increased, non-insight solutions became less frequent and required more solution time, whereas insightful ones remained mostly unaffected. This implies that insight problem solving did not compete for limited cognitive resources.
Collapse
|
|
31
|
From many to (n)one: Meditation and the plasticity of the predictive mind. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:199-217. [PMID: 34139248 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
How profoundly can humans change their own minds? In this paper we offer a unifying account of deconstructive meditation under the predictive processing view. We start from simple axioms. First, the brain makes predictions based on past experience, both phylogenetic and ontogenetic. Second, deconstructive meditation brings one closer to the here and now by disengaging anticipatory processes. We propose that practicing meditation therefore gradually reduces counterfactual temporally deep cognition, until all conceptual processing falls away, unveiling a state of pure awareness. Our account also places three main styles of meditation (focused attention, open monitoring, and non-dual) on a single continuum, where each technique relinquishes increasingly engrained habits of prediction, including the predicted self. This deconstruction can also permit certain insights by making the above processes available to introspection. Our framework is consistent with the state of empirical and (neuro)phenomenological evidence and illuminates the top-down plasticity of the predictive mind. Experimental rigor, neurophenomenology, and no-report paradigms are needed to further understanding of how meditation affects predictive processing and the self.
Collapse
|
|
32
|
Laukkonen RE, Ingledew DJ, Grimmer HJ, Schooler JW, Tangen JM. Getting a grip on insight: real-time and embodied Aha experiences predict correct solutions. Cogn Emot 2021; 35:918-935. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2021.1908230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruben E. Laukkonen
- Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Hilary J. Grimmer
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | | | - Jason M. Tangen
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
|
33
|
Zhang Z, Lei Y, Xing Q, Li H. Left-hemispheric predominance on appropriateness evaluation of restructuring during chunk decomposition problem solving. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13778. [PMID: 33543773 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Restructuring refers to achieving satisfactory solutions by breaking obstacles or forming novel associations in problem-solving. One critical question arises regarding how an appropriate solution is processed in our brain during the restructuring of problem representations. This study aims to explore the electrophysiological correlates of appropriateness evaluation of restructuring by employing a chunk decomposition task. During loose or tight chunk decomposition, participants needed to assess whether they could get a valid solution after probe removal from a source character chunk. As reflected by the late positive complex, the processing of appropriateness exhibited the greatest effect (appropriate vs. inappropriate) in left parietal regions for tight chunk decomposition, but exhibited insignificant differences across most brain regions for loose chunk decomposition. This study provides the first primary electrophysiological evidence that both hemispheres contribute to and the left hemisphere plays a predominant role in evaluating the appropriateness of restructuring in problem solving.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhonglu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Lei
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.,Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Xing
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong Li
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.,Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
|
34
|
Korovkin S, Savinova A, Padalka J, Zhelezova A. Beautiful mind: grouping of actions into mental schemes leads to a full insight Aha! experience. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2020.1847124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Korovkin
- Department of Psychology, Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, Russia
| | - Anna Savinova
- Department of Psychology, Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, Russia
| | - Julia Padalka
- Department of Psychology, Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, Russia
| | | |
Collapse
|
|
35
|
Salvi C, Simoncini C, Grafman J, Beeman M. Oculometric signature of switch into awareness? Pupil size predicts sudden insight whereas microsaccades predict problem-solving via analysis. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116933. [PMID: 32413459 PMCID: PMC7440842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the Gestalt theorists, restructuring is an essential component of insight problem-solving, contributes to the "Aha!" experience, and is similar to the perceptual switch experienced when reinterpreting ambiguous figures. Previous research has demonstrated that pupil diameter increases during the perceptual switch of ambiguous figures, and indexes norepeinephrine functioning mediated by the locus coeruleus. In this study, we investigated if pupil diameter similarly predicts the switch into awareness people experience when solving a problem via insight. Additionally, we explored eye movement dynamics during the same task to investigate if the problem-solving strategies used are linked to specific oculomotor behaviors. In 38 participants, pupil diameter increased about 500 msec prior to solution only in trials for which subjects report having an insight. In contrast, participants increased their microsaccade rate only prior to non-insight solutions. Pupil dilation and microsaccades were not reliably related, but both appear to be robust markers of how people solve problems (with or without insight). The pupil size change seen when people have an "Aha!" moment represents an indicator of the switch into awareness of unconscious processes humans depend upon for insight, and suggests important involvement of norepinephrine, via the locus coeruleus, in sudden insight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carola Salvi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Claudio Simoncini
- Institut de Neurosciences de La Timone, UMR 7289, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark Beeman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
36
|
Webb ME, Laukkonen RE, Cropper SJ, Little DR. Commentary: Moment of (Perceived) Truth: Exploring Accuracy of Aha! Experiences. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|