Publikation
A Multi-conceptual Approach to Forgetting Prose-induced Fixation in Creative Problem-solving
Paula Gauselmann; Christian Frings; Christian Jilek; Tobias Tempel
In: Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (JARMAC), Vol. 0, Pages 1-27, Educational Publishing Foundation, 2024.
Zusammenfassung
Problem-solving has been shown to be impaired after pre-strengthening of misleading associations. Importantly, this detrimental effect can be mitigated by rendering distracting information less accessible. Following a practical approach, we set out to examine how processing of prose-material containing misleading information affects subsequent problem-solving performance and whether aid by simulated intelligent assistance software can be beneficial in this setting. Results indicated that (1) prose-material can induce fixation in a similar manner as single-item lists and that (2) this fixation can be overcome by simulating two main features of an AI-based assistance software: First, individual tasks are presented and automatically saved in unique work-contexts. Second, users can actively switch back and forth between contexts. Resembling a form of memory updating based on context-dependent forgetting, these findings provide evidence on how higher human cognition can be significantly enhanced by interacting with an interface that supports switching between work contexts.