Methods for investigating the neural components of insight

Abstract

The authors describe how they have used visual-hemifield and event-related neuroimaging approaches to study their theory specifying some of the neural components of insight. A set of problems developed by the authors, and the use of solvers' self reports of insight, are presented to argue that advances in our understanding of insight are being unnecessarily stifled by over reliance on traditional insight problems and a widespread failure to determine whether insight has occurred on a solution-by-solution basis.