Factors that Facilitate Incubation Effect: The Role of Cognitive Load on Incubation Task and Individual Differences in Cognitive Inhibition
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Jen, Chun-Hui
Abstract
The incubation effect refers to the phenomenon that spending time away from an unsolved problem may increase the likelihood of successfully solving the problem, as opposed to working continuously on the problem. Mainstream viewpoints propose the incubation effects are results of non-conscious processes that occur during the incubation period. In contrast, the conscious-work account holds that the beneficial effects are due to covert problem solving during the incubation period. However, the explanation of the incubation effect is still controversial because (1) little research has confirmed whether individuals carry out intermittent conscious work on the unsolved problem during the incubation period; (2) there has been no study that systematically manipulates the cognitive load of the incubation task; (3) previous hypotheses oversimplified individuals’ cognitive process during the incubation period. This research incorporates the thought-sampling technique into the incubation effect paradigm and manipulates the cognitive load of the incubation task to clarify the problems mentioned above. In Experiment 1 and 3, it was found that compared with a high cognitive load task or resting during the incubation period, a low-demanding load task yields a stronger incubation effect. In Experiment 2, by utilizing an implicit measurement, it was not found that the prevention of conscious problem solving results in helpful processes. In Experiment 4, the result clearly shows that, compared with individuals with weaker cognition inhibition, individuals with stronger cognitive inhibition benefit more from the low-demanding task during the incubation period. As a whole, these results do not support either the non-conscious or conscious work account of incubation. An attention defocusing hypothesis is proposed to explain the mechanism of incubation. According to the attention defocusing hypothesis, during the incubation period, low-demanding tasks may occupy part of the individual’s attention thus preventing the focused concentration on the problem. The defocused attention state results in decreasing cognitive inhibition and increases the probability of generating unusual but helpful ideas.
Subjects
incubation effect
defocused attention
thought-sampling technique
creativity
cognitive inhibition
creative problem solving
Type
thesis
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