ABSTRACT
Verbal protocols have been used as data in the study of the cognitive processes underlying many problem-solving tasks (see Ericsson & Simon, 1993, for a review). However, the utility of verbal protocols in the analysis of insight and related processes has been questioned because “verbal overshadowing” was reported in participants solving insight problems (Schooler, Ohlsson, & Brooks, 1993). If this effect applies broadly to insight problems, then the use of verbal protocols in the study of insight would be called into question. However, Fleck and Weisberg (2003) demonstrated that verbal overshadowing did not extend to the Candle Problem. The present research examined the effect of verbalization on three additional insight problems, to examine the potential usefulness of verbal protocols in insight problem solving research.
