The Impact of Positive and Negative Feedback in Insight Problem Solving
Andrew Roxburgh
Department of Computer Science
University of Canterbury
Abstract
Insight problems are problems which are simple to state but relatively diffcult to solve, and require some sort of `insight' (creative thinking) to solve them. This insight requires looking at the problem or some objects within the problem in an unconventional way, or some other form of restructuring the problem. This project looks at the impacts of providing feedback in two contrasting ways to people attempting to solve one insight problem, the nine-dots problem. Feedback is given in either a positive format - telling them what they should do, or a negative format - telling them what they should not do. The relative benefits of these two forms of feedback are evaluated, and it is concluded that a positive style is better because people who receive feedback phrased in a positive style are more likely to follow it than those who receive it in a negative style.
