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ERIC Number: EJ1494131
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0175
EISSN: EISSN-2162-6057
Available Date: 2025-10-23
Is the Aha! Experience a Holistic Construct?
Anna Savinova1; Vladimir Spiridonov1; Victoria Afanasieva1
Journal of Creative Behavior, v59 n4 e70075 2025
The Aha! experience--a sudden joy of understanding after numerous attempts to solve a problem--represents one of the key moments of insight problem solving. Although definitions of the Aha! experience vary from descriptions emphasizing the suddenness and obviousness of the solution to those highlighting the fundamental role of positive emotions, many insight studies assume that the Aha! experience is holistic. To test this assumption, we collected a dataset of previously published studies in which participants used metacognitive assessments (pleasure, surprise, suddenness, relief, certainty, drive) to evaluate their solution process. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we compared one-factor and two-factor models of the Aha! experience. Results revealed that a two-factor model fit the data statistically better than a one-factor model, with surprise and suddenness forming one-factor, while pleasure, relief, certainty, and drive formed another. We hypothesized these factors might correspond to different insight sequences: pop-out solutions or true insight following impasse and representational change. However, this hypothesis was not supported when using solution time as a proxy for insight sequence type. These findings suggest the Aha! experience is not a unitary construct but comprises multiple components potentially linked to different psychological mechanisms.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://osf.io/nzvq9/
Author Affiliations: 1Laboratory of Cognitive Research, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Moscow, Russian Federation