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Updated: May 15, 2026

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
10:26

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

Improving insight and non-insight problem solving with brief interventions.

Ming-Ching Wen1, Laurie T Butler, Wilma Koutstaal

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Reading, UK. mingching.wen@gmail.com

British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953)
|January 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Brief interventions like alternative uses generation and self-affirmation significantly improve problem-solving skills. These methods enhance cognitive abilities and executive functions, boosting both insight and fluid reasoning performance.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Developing effective brief training interventions for problem-solving is challenging.
  • Previous research indicated alternative uses generation improves insight problem-solving via implicit transfer.
  • Self-affirmation (SA) interventions enhance cognitive and executive performance under specific conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if alternative uses generation and self-affirmation interventions benefit problem-solving.
  • To determine if these interventions enhance fluid intelligence and executive functions.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms of these cognitive and social-psychological interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using brief, single-session interventions.
  • Interventions included alternative uses generation and self-affirmation (SA).
  • Participants' insight problem-solving, fluid reasoning, and executive functions were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Both alternative uses generation and SA interventions significantly enhanced insight and visual-spatial fluid reasoning problem-solving.
  • The benefits on insight problem-solving were replicated in a second experiment.
  • Improved executive functioning was identified as a likely underlying mechanism.

Conclusions:

  • Brief cognitive and social-psychological interventions can substantially improve various types of problem-solving.
  • These interventions show similar facilitatory effects on goal-directed behaviors.
  • Even short interventions offer significant cognitive benefits.