Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Problem-Solving01:29

Problem-Solving

Effective problem-solving consists of two steps: 1. identifying the problem and 2. selecting the appropriate problem-solving strategy (i.e., a plan of action used to find a solution). Humans use four problem-solving strategies:
Solving Problems in Physics02:32

Solving Problems in Physics

Problem-solving is the ability to apply general physical principles to specific situations, usually expressed by equations. It is an essential skill in physics, and can also be useful for applying physics in everyday life as well. Analytical skills and problem-solving abilities can be applied to new situations, compared to a list of facts, which can never be extensive enough to include every possible circumstance. To solve physics problems, a certain amount of creativity and insight is...
Kinematic Equations: Problem Solving01:15

Kinematic Equations: Problem Solving

When analyzing one-dimensional motion with constant acceleration, the problem-solving strategy involves identifying the known quantities and choosing the appropriate kinematic equations to solve for the unknowns. Either one or two kinematic equations are needed to solve for the unknowns, depending on the known and unknown quantities. Generally, the number of equations required is the same as the number of unknown quantities in the given example. Two-body pursuit problems always require two...
Moments of Inertia: Problem Solving01:14

Moments of Inertia: Problem Solving

The second moment of an area, also known as the moment of inertia of an area, is a geometric property of a shape that reflects its resistance to change. The moment of inertia of an area can be calculated for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. The moment of inertia of an area is calculated by taking the sum of the product of the area and the square of its distance from a chosen axis of rotation. For two-dimensional shapes, the moment of inertia can be expressed as a single...
Impact: Problem Solving01:26

Impact: Problem Solving

In an experiment conducted during a Mars mission, a rover propels a projectile with an initial velocity, and the projectile rebounds after colliding with the Martian surface. To ascertain the maximum height attained by the projectile after this collision, the known restitution coefficient and acceleration due to gravity are employed.
By designating the launch point as the origin and utilizing kinematic equations, the vertical component of the projectile's velocity at the point of impact is...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dissociable Effects of Verbalization on Solving Insight and Non-Insight Problems.

Journal of Intelligence·2025
Same author

Editorial: Psychology and mathematics education.

Frontiers in psychology·2023
Same author

Behavioral Changes After the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy.

Frontiers in psychology·2021
Same author

How to Get Rid of the Belief Bias: Boosting Analytical Thinking via Pragmatics.

Europe's journal of psychology·2021
Same author

Thinking about low-probability events. An Exemplar-Cuing theory.

Psychological science·2004
Same journal

Career Adaptability and Academic Achievement Among Chinese High School Students: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study of Social Cognitive and Metacognitive Mediating Mechanisms.

Journal of Intelligence·2026
Same journal

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Preservice Science Teachers' Analogical Reasoning: Evidence from Analogy Design.

Journal of Intelligence·2026
Same journal

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence-Supported Instruction on Student Learning in STEM: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Journal of Intelligence·2026
Same journal

Reading and Writing Profiles in Twice-Exceptional Adolescents with Intellectual Giftedness and Dyslexia.

Journal of Intelligence·2026
Same journal

Emotional Intelligence, Self-Regulation, and Children's Well-Being in Fourth-Grade Students: Cross-Sectional Associations from Türkiye.

Journal of Intelligence·2026
Same journal

Detecting Demographic Influences on Measures of Spatial Ability with Rasch Tree Analysis.

Journal of Intelligence·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 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

Does Physical Interaction with Insight Problems Really Affect the Solution Rate?

Laura Macchi1, Daniele Inglese1, Laura Caravona1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy.

Journal of Intelligence
|May 26, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Physical interaction with problems does not always aid insight, especially for spatial tasks. However, manipulating materials can help overcome misunderstandings in problems like arithmetic puzzles, leading to better solutions.

Keywords:
STEM educationembodied cognitioninsight problem solvingmisunderstandingphysical interaction

More Related Videos

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents
09:43

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents

Published on: August 10, 2014

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups
14:14

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups

Published on: May 13, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 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

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents
09:43

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents

Published on: August 10, 2014

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups
14:14

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups

Published on: May 13, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Problem Solving Research

Background:

  • Traditionally, insight problems are presented verbally or visually.
  • Prior research suggested physical interaction with materials could enhance insight problem-solving.
  • Recent studies indicate limited performance improvement with manipulable materials, except for spatial problems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if material manipulation facilitates spatial insight problems.
  • To test the hypothesis that the facilitating effect of manipulation is linked to grasping functional aspects crucial for restructuring.
  • To examine if interactive materials can help overcome misunderstandings in insight problems.

Main Methods:

  • Experiment 1: Compared paper format versus physical interaction for a spatial "Pencil problem".
  • Experiment 2: Compared standard paper format versus interactive matchstick representation for a "Matchstick Arithmetic problem".

Main Results:

  • Experiment 1 showed no significant difference in success rates for the spatial problem based on presentation format.
  • Experiment 2 revealed a significant increase in solutions when participants used interactive matchsticks.
  • Interactive matchsticks helped participants understand that symbols could be decomposed, overcoming a key misunderstanding.

Conclusions:

  • Material manipulation does not inherently facilitate solving spatial insight problems.
  • The facilitating effect of material manipulation is dependent on its ability to clarify functional aspects and resolve misunderstandings.
  • Interactive representations are beneficial when they directly address and resolve the core misunderstanding within an insight problem.