From Unconscious to Conscious Insights

Whether insights arise consciously or unconsciously, and whether they arise suddenly or gradually, has been the subject of much speculation but little empirical research. Problem solving on the inversion problem presented an unusual opportunity to circumvent the methodological obstacles that have limited progress on these issues. This paper presents both empirical research on how children generate a simple mathematical insight and a computer simulation of how they do so. Both suggest that at least some insights arise first in unconscious form and that gradual shifts in attention play a large role in the insight process.