Researching Teachers’ Agentic Orientations to Educational Change in Finnish Schools

Peer reviewe

Deconstructing Insight: EEG Correlates of Insightful Problem Solving

Background: Cognitive insight phenomenon lies at the core of numerous discoveries. Behavioral research indicates four salient features of insightful problem solving: (i) mental impasse, followed by (ii) restructuring of the problem representation, which leads to (iii) a deeper understanding of the problem, and finally culminates in (iv) an “Aha!” feeling of suddenness and obviousness of the solution. However, until now no efforts have been made to investigate the neural mechanisms of these constituent features of insight in a unified framework. Methodology/Principal Findings: In an electroencephalographic study using verbal remote associate problems, we identified neural correlates of these four features of insightful problem solving. Hints were provided for unsolved problems or after mental impasse. Subjective ratings of the restructuring process and the feeling of suddenness were obtained on trial-by-trial basis. A negative correlation was found between these two ratings indicating that sudden insightful solutions, where restructuring is a key feature, involve automatic, subconscious recombination of information. Electroencephalogram signals were analyzed in the space×time×frequency domain with a nonparametric cluster randomization test. First, we found strong gamma band responses at parieto-occipital regions which we interpreted as (i) an adjustment of selective attention (leading to a mental impasse or to a correct solution depending on the gamma band power level) and (ii) encoding and retrieval processes for the emergence of spontaneous new solutions. Secondly, we observed an increased upper alpha band response in right temporal regions (suggesting active suppression of weakly activated solution relevant information) for initially unsuccessful trials that after hint presentation led to a correct solution. Finally, for trials with high restructuring, decreased alpha power (suggesting greater cortical excitation) was observed in right prefrontal area. Conclusions/Significance: Our results provide a first account of cognitive insight by dissociating its constituent components and potential neural correlates

Act first, think later: the presence and absence of inferential planning in problem solving

Planning is fundamental to successful problem solving, yet individuals sometimes fail to plan even one step ahead when it lies within their competence to do so. In this article, we report two experiments in which we explored variants of a ball-weighing puzzle, a problem that has only two steps, yet nonetheless yields performance consistent with a failure to plan. The results fit a computational model in which a solver's attempts are determined by two heuristics: maximization of the apparent progress made toward the problem goal and minimization of the problem space in which attempts are sought. The effectiveness of these heuristics was determined by lookahead, defined operationally as the number of steps evaluated in a planned move. Where move outcomes cannot be visualized but must be inferred, planning is constrained to the point where some individuals apply zero lookahead, which with n-ball problems yields seemingly irrational unequal weighs. Applying general-purpose heuristics with or without lookahead accounts for a range of rational and irrational phenomena found with insight and noninsight problems

Hedonics of Food Consumption: Are Food ‘Liking’ and ‘Wanting’ Viable Targets for Appetite Control in the Obese?

In an environment where energy-dense and highly palatable foods are ubiquitous, it seems plausible that the hedonic system of appetite control will play a primary role in eating behavior—undermining homeostatic processes and driving consumption beyond energy requirements. A relevant issue in the hedonics of food consumption is the distinction between “liking” and “wanting” components of food reward. Separate neural pathways exist to mediate these processes, and experimental behavioral methods have been developed to distinguish and to measure them separately in humans. We examine the evidence that “liking” and “wanting” are involved in weight gain, obesity, and certain forms of disordered eating. Then it is questioned whether “liking” and “wanting” are involved in “food addiction.” We conclude that elevated “liking” and “wanting” are psychological markers of a susceptible phenotype for overconsumption. These processes contribute to what can be termed “hedonically driven eating” and represent viable targets for appetite control