It is magic! How impossible solutions prevent the discovery of obvious ones?. Issue 12 (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thomas, Cyril; Didierjean, André; Kuhn, Gustav
• Is Part Of: Quarterly journal of experimental psychology. Volume 71:Issue 12(2018)
• Page Start: 2481
• Page End: 2487
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Magic -- fixing effect -- Einstellung effect -- insight problem solving -- misdirection -- false solution -- illusion; Psychology, Experimental -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Comparative -- Periodicals; 150.72405
• DOI: 10.1177/1747021817743439
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-0218

Abstract

When confronted with an insight problem, some factors limit our capacity to discover the optimal solution. Previous research on problem solving has shown that the first idea that comes to participants' minds can inhibit them from finding better alternative solutions. We used a magic trick to demonstrate that this mind fixing effect is more general than previously thought: a solution that participants knew to be incorrect and impossible inhibited the discovery of an easy alternative. We show that a simple exposure to an obvious false solution (e.g., the magician hides the card in the palm of his hand to secretly transfer it to his back pocket) can inhibit participants from finding the real secret of the trick (e.g., he used a duplicate card), even if the magician proves that this false solution is impossible (e.g., he shows his hand is empty). We discuss the psychological processes underlying this robust fixing effect.