Exploring the Relationship Between Physiological Arousal and Insight Problem Solving

Abstract

The phenomenon of problem-solving through insight is often described by the sudden ‘ah-ha’ moment that occurs in our minds. In recent years, research has evaluated insight occurring outside of consciousness. Researchers have considered how the body's physiological response could be a signal indicating to the conscious mind that the problem was solved. This study aimed to expand upon the findings of Shen and colleagues (2018) regarding the relationship between insight responses and arousal, measured by GSR. The utilized sample was fifty-five students who were predominately white and female. Although most problems showed no significant association between accuracy and peak amplitude, one insight problem reached significance for both peak presence and amplitude. Also, the intensity of peaks in arousal were not associated with problem accuracy, indicating that it did not matter whether individuals solved insight problems correctly or incorrectly; peaks in arousal were equally likely to occur. Results from this study highlighted discrepancies between findings within the field and addressed the need for additional research.