The Emergence of Insight

We are all familiar with the feeling of being stuck when a problem we are faced with seems intractable and we are unable to find a solution. But then, sometimes, a new way of seeing the problem pops into the mind from out of the blue. The missing piece of the puzzle is found, the gap is filled, and the solution is now obvious. This is the insight experience, the Aha! moment, which has been a fascination of those who study problem solving for centuries. Written by leading researchers from around the world, this volume explores cutting-edge perspectives on insight, the processes that underlie it, and the conditions that promote it. Chapters draw on key themes from attention, to memory and learning, to evolutionary perspectives. Students and researchers in applied, cognitive and educational psychology, as well as those studying creativity, insight, and cognitive neuroscience will benefit from these perspectives.