Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China.
Sci China Life Sci. 2013 Mar;56(3):284-90. doi: 10.1007/s11427-013-4454-8. Epub 2013 Mar 23.
Insight problem solving is characterized by mental impasses, states of mind in which the problem solver does not know what to do next. Although many studies have investigated the neural correlates of insight problem solving, however, the question when mental impasses occur during insight problem solving has been rarely studied. The present study adopted high temporal resolution ERPs to investigate the temporal dynamics of an impasse underlying insight problem solving. Time locked ERPs were recorded associated with problems with impasses (PWI) and problems without impasses (POI). The problem types were determined by participants' subjective responses. The results revealed an early frontocentral P2 was linked with the preconscious awareness of mental impasses and a P3a was associated with fixed attention when the impasse formed. These findings suggest the impasse may occur initially at a relatively early stage and metacognition plays an important role in insight problem solving.
洞察问题解决的特点是思维僵局，即问题解决者不知道下一步该做什么。尽管许多研究已经调查了洞察问题解决的神经相关物，但是，思维僵局何时发生在洞察问题解决过程中这个问题很少被研究。本研究采用高时间分辨率 ERP 来研究洞察问题解决中潜在思维僵局的时间动态。与有僵局的问题（PWI）和没有僵局的问题（POI）相关的时间锁定 ERP 被记录下来。问题类型由参与者的主观反应决定。结果表明，早期额中央 P2 与心理僵局的潜意识意识有关，而当僵局形成时，P3a 与固定注意力有关。这些发现表明，僵局可能最初发生在相对较早的阶段，元认知在洞察问题解决中起着重要作用。
