AHA! : a connectionist perspective on problem solving

Abstract: "The AHA! model is proposed as a demonstration of what connectionism might have to offer the study of problem solving. Bridging the Gestalt and Problem Space theories of problem solving, AHA! simulates serial search at a macro-level while incorporating (at a micro-level) the Gestaltist idea of a dynamic interaction between parts of the problem and the goals and knowledge of the problem solver. AHA! exhibits a number of problem solving phenomena including insight, directed search, goal fixedness, einstellung, functional fixedness, and responsiveness to the salience of problem features. It provides not only qualitative fits to human data from functional fixedness experiments, but also a framework for exploring the potential outcomes of variations which could be carried out in future experiments."