Maxi Becker- Investigating the neural mechanisms of insightful problem-solving

Sudden insights are among the most captivating human experiences, characterized by the distinctive "Aha!" moment-a unique blend of surprise, positive emotion, intrinsic reward, and confidence in the solution. While traditional theories address cognitive processes in problem-solving, they often fall short of explaining both the distinctiveness of the "Aha!" experience and the improved memory retention that accompanies insights. In this talk, I propose the "insight-as-prediction-error" hypothesis as a way to bridge this gap. This framework suggests that when expectations about problem-solving outcomes diverge significantly from the actual solution, cognitive and metacognitive prediction errors are generated, resulting in feelings of surprise, reward, and confidence. On a neural level, insight arises from a rapid reorganization of solution-relevant neural representations, fostering a sudden sense of understanding. This shift is accompanied by heightened activity in hippocampus additionally contributing to the updating of prior expectations and enhancing memory retention. I will present behavioral and fMRI evidence in support of this hypothesis, offering new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the "Aha!" experience.