Are Insight Measures Insightful? A Comparison of Different Verbal Tasks Using Self-Reports of Aha! Experience Phenomenology

Measuring insight is one of the biggest problems in the problem-solving field. Recent studies show that classic insight tasks can be solved through either insightful thinking or analytical thinking. The present work examined relationships between cognitive reasoning tasks, insight tasks and creative thinking. Additionally we explored differences in insight phenomenology when solving insight puzzles and when completing the Cognitive Reflection Test. We conducted two independent studies. Study 1 was a conceptual replication of previously observed relationships between insight puzzles, the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), and the Verbal Cognitive Reflection Test (VCRT). Study 2 examined differences between analytical and insightful tasks using self-report insight scales. Five dimensions of insight were measured: suddenness, confidence, pleasure, the aha! experience, and arousal. Results showed a clear and positive correlation between insight puzzles and reflective tests (CRT, VCRT) in both studies, these supporting results from previous studies. Additionally, no differences in feelings of insight were observed between insight puzzles and the Cognitive Reflection Test. However, feelings of insight were greater for the VCRT than for insight puzzles. This suggests that the experience of insight may not be exclusively tied to a specific type of problem; rather, it may reflect a style of problem solving that can emerge in various task contexts.