The causal relationship between cognitive restructuring and multidimensional components of “Aha!” experiences during insight problem solving

The relationship between two forms of restructuring (constraint relaxation and chunk decomposition) and the multidimensional components of the “Aha!” experience remains poorly understood. The present study employed matchstick arithmetic problems to investigate this issue. Participants completed problems that entailed either high or low constraint ranges, as well as tight or loose chunk decomposition. The results showed that the relaxation of high (vs. low) constraints and the decomposition of tight (vs. loose) chunks each elicited a more pronounced “Aha!” experience characterised by its multidimensional components of surprise and suddenness. Furthermore, the components of the “Aha!” experience remained stable or declined after feedback for correct solutions. By contrast, the components remained unchanged or increased following feedback for incorrect solutions. This study provides evidence for a causal relationship between different forms of restructuring and the multidimensional components of the “Aha!” experience, and further demonstrates that the latter are modulated by solution feedback.