Getting an 'Aha!' With Different Types of Hints

Getting an 'Aha!' With Different Types of Hints

Several theories have proposed that changing representations of insight problems could help overcome mental blocks. Constraint relaxation is one of the effects brought about by hints. This study aimed at investigating the effects of different hints in changing problem representations. 'SHOULD' hints were hypothesized to lead participants to the correct path while 'SHOULD NOT' hints were hypothesized to eliminate one of the possible paths. Results showed that 'SHOULD' hints facilitated insight problem solving by increasing the speed and the number of correct answers given. This study points to the importance of thinking from a different perspective when faced with mental blocks.