Information processing and insight: A process model of performance on the nine-dot and related problems

The 9-dot problem is widely regarded as a difficult insight problem. The au thors present a detailed information-processing model to explain its diffic ulty, based on maximization and progress-monitoring heuristics with lookahe ad. In Experiments 1 and 2, the model predicted performance for the 9-dot a nd related problems. Experiment 3 supported an extension of the model that accounts for insightful moves. Experiments 4 and 5 provided a critical test of model predictions versus those of previous accounts. On the basis of th ese findings, the authors claim that insight problem solving can be modeled within a means-ends analysis framework. Maximization and progress-monitori ng heuristics are the source of problem difficulty, but also create the con ditions necessary for insightful moves to be sought. Furthermore, they prom ote the discovery and retention of promising states that meet the progress- monitoring criterion and attenuate the problem space.