Modeling the Aha! Moment: a Computational Mechanism for Structuring and Incubation in Creative Problem Solving

The underlying mechanisms giving rise to insightful problem solving are largely unknown, although models have been proposed that suggest phases of incubation, restructuring, and insight. Here, we propose a single computational mechanism that models the dynamics of structuring percepts to create an internal belief representation and subsequent restructuring of that belief representation, in which evidence for restructuring a representation is accumulated through trial-and-error attempts to solve the problem. Restructuring gives rise to a macroscopically observable incubation period followed by sudden emergence of a solution. The computational mechanism is evaluated through modeling of the nine-dot problem, a classic insight problem. Evidence supporting the notion of partial reward, a key concept in the computational mechanism, is observed in the progression to a solution of subjects engaged in the nine dot problem. The results of the model show that complex, high-level cognitive processes may emerge from simple underlying computational mechanisms.