ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC CORRELATES OF AN INSIGHT

Poster (download)

495

Gennady Knyazev¹, Andrey Bocharov², Alexander Savostyanov^3
1Institute of Physiology & Basic Medicine, knyazev@physiol.ru
²Institute of Physiology & Basic Medicine; Novosibirsk National Research State University, bocharov@physiol.ru
³Institute of Physiology & Basic Medicine; Novosibirsk National Research State University, a-sav@mail.ru

Insight is a quick, sudden penetration of the solution into the essence of the problem, which may be accompanied by a feeling of \”insight\”, or \” A-ha experience.\” The study of insights in the laboratory was fraught with significant difficulties and the results obtained were quite contradictory.In current study we aimed to identify the dynamics of brain activity in the period, preceding and accompanying the occurrence of insight using the distant association test (TOA) and EEG analysis at the level of sources of electrical activity. A comparison of the options for solving problems that were classified as “an insight” by subjects and those rated as “analytical” revealed a number of differences at behavioral and brain activity levels.Insight solutions were found averagely faster and were mostly more precise. Brain activity in solving problems in an analytical way did not significantly differ from brain activity while no solution was found, which allowed to suggest the presence of an analytical method in the latter case. The brain activity during problems solving using insights was significantly different from unsuccessful trails, and different from trails where an analytical strategy was used.The early stages of problem solution search showed the differences in the delta range in the cortical areas related to the default system and performance control networks. Brain activity, probably associated with the occurrence of an insight solution in the mind, was detected in beta and gamma ranges in the cortical areas of the left hemisphere, which were involved in semantic processes and emotional responses. All in all, the revealed effects showed distinct differences in the dynamics of brain activity with insight and analytical options for finding a solution and testified prospects of this research area. This work was supported by a grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFFI) KOMFI No.18-00-00939 and No.18-00-00569.