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  • Chapter 3 - Forgetting and Inhibition as Mechanisms for Overcoming Mental Fixation in Creative Problem Solving

  • from II - Fixation and Insight
  • Edited by Carola Salvi, John Cabot University, Rome, Jennifer Wiley, University of Illinois, Chicago, Steven M. Smith, Texas A & M University
  • Book:
    The Emergence of Insight
    Published online:
    02 May 2024
    Print publication:
    09 May 2024, pp 39-59

  • Summary

    Research on creative problem solving has shown that the generation of new ideas and solutions can be impeded by existing ideas and solutions. This phenomenon, known as mental fixation, has been observed in many problem-solving contexts, including the remote associates test (RAT). In the RAT, participants are presented with three cue words and are asked to come up with a fourth word related to each of the cue words. The task can be made more difficult by exposing participants to unhelpful associates that cause mental fixation before they attempt to generate the fourth word. The current chapter reviews research on the mechanisms by which people overcome the effects of mental fixation, focusing on research using the RAT, and on the potential roles of forgetting and inhibition. The results suggest that, at least under certain conditions, the ability to forget, inhibit retrieval, or stop a response can help people overcome mental fixation and thus lead to the experience of creative insight.