Formulation of the Study Problem and Transfer in Insight Problem Solving

This dissertation, "Formulation of the Study Problem and Transfer in Insight Problem Solving" by Tsun-hin, John, Wong, 黃浚軒, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled "Formulation of the Study Problem and Transfer in Insight Problem Solving" Submitted by WONG, TSUN HIN JOHN for the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong in May 2004 Theories about transfer of insight problem are proposed on the basis of studies about insight. Much of the theorizing and research about insight problem solving focused on the restructuring processes involved. Yet, an adequate theory for transfer in insight problems not only has to fully account for the mechanism of how past experience is utilized to tackle novel insight problems but also to identify factors that will affect transfer. The present study is an attempt to develop a more comprehensive theory of transfer of insight problem solving by adopting the two phase experimental setting of analogical transfer studies to the study of insight problem solving. We reviewed the effect of the presence of similar problem restructuring processes for transfer in previous studies of both areas including insight studies by Knoblich et al (1999, 2001) and analogical studies by Gick & Holyoak (1980, 1983), Holyoak & Koh (1987) and Catrambone & Holyoak (1989), and concluded that the presence of such processes is essential for a transfer. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of aided-discovery experiences of problem restructuring processes for transfer: two experiments, assisted by an eye tracker system, made use of matchstick arithmetic problems in visually-aided form, non-aided form and blocked practice form, while the other experiment utilized paper-based verbal problems in a 2 x 2 design with visual cues. The results indicate that problem solvers who discovered solutions without any aid of cue achieved more effective transfers. Although eye movement data suggested that experience of being visually clued can direct problem solvers to attend to specific features of certain insight problems, problems that involve more difficult restructuring processes were found to be more dependent on unaided-discovery experiences for a successful transfer to occur. Oppose to providing direct visual cues, we found that random practice arrangement in the study phase has no effect in promoting transfer of insight when compared to a blocked practice arrangement. Based on these findings, we concluded that current once-encountered forever-resolved notion about automatic transfer of insight has to be modified accordingly; a successful transfer of insight problem depends on the presence of experience to similar insight problem restructuring processes and whether these restructuring processes are discovered by the problem solver himself without any direct aid. (372 words) DOI: 10.5353/th_b3028011 Subjects: Transfer of training Problem solving