The origins of insight in resting-state brain activity

• Published in: Neuropsychologia Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 281 - 291
• Main Authors: Kounios, John, Fleck, Jessica I., Green, Deborah L., Payne, Lisa, Stevenson, Jennifer L., Bowden, Edward M., Jung-Beeman, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Anatomical correlates of behavior; Attention; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping; Creativity; Electroencephalography - methods; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemispheric asymmetry; Humans; Individuality; Insight; Male; Mental Processes; Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology; Photic Stimulation - methods; Problem solving; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rest - physiology; Resting state; Problem solving; Hemispheric asymmetry; Insight; Resting state; Creativity; Attention; Human; Hemispheric specialization; Central nervous system; Cognition; Encephalon; Rest; Laterality
• ISSN: 0028-3932; 1873-3514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.07.013

People can solve problems in more than one way. Two general strategies involve (A) methodical, conscious, search of problem-state transformations, and (B) sudden insight, with abrupt emergence of the solution into consciousness. This study elucidated the influence of initial resting brain-state on subjects’ subsequent strategy choices. High-density electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded from subjects at rest who were subsequently directed to solve a series of anagrams. Subjects were divided into two groups based on the proportion of anagram solutions derived with self-reported insight versus search. Reaction time and accuracy results were consistent with different cognitive problem-solving strategies used for solving anagrams with versus without insight. Spectral analyses yielded group differences in resting-state EEG supporting hypotheses concerning insight-related attentional diffusion and right-lateralized hemispheric asymmetry. These results reveal a relationship between resting-state brain activity and problem-solving strategy, and, more generally, a dependence of event-related neural computations on the preceding resting state.