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Does incubation enhance problem solving? A meta-analytic review

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 18:53 authored by Ut Na Sio, Thomas OrmerodThomas Ormerod
A meta-analytic review of empirical studies that have investigated incubation effects on problem solving is reported. Although some researchers have reported increased solution rates after an incubation period (i.e., a period of time in which a problem is set aside prior to further attempts to solve), others have failed to find effects. The analysis examined the contributions of moderators such as problem type, presence of solution-relevant or misleading cues, and lengths of preparation and incubation periods to incubation effect sizes. The authors identified a positive incubation effect, with divergent thinking tasks benefiting more than linguistic and visual insight tasks from incubation. Longer preparation periods gave a greater incubation effect, whereas filling an incubation period with high cognitive demand tasks gave a smaller incubation effect. Surprisingly, low cognitive demand tasks yielded a stronger incubation effect than did rest during an incubation period when solving linguistic insight problems. The existence of multiple types of incubation effect provides evidence for differential invocation of knowledge-based vs. strategic solution processes across different classes of problem, and it suggests that the conditions under which incubation can be used as a practical technique for enhancing problem solving must be designed with care.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Psychological Bulletin

ISSN

0033-2909

Publisher

Psychological Bulletin

Issue

1

Volume

135

Page range

94 - 120

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Notes

This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record.

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2014-11-25

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