Abstract
Insight problem solving is thought to underpin creative thought as it incorporates both divergent (generating multiple ideas and solutions) and convergent (arriving at the optimal solution) thinking approaches. The current literature on schizotypy and creativity is mixed and requires clarification. An alternate approach was employed by designing an exploratory web-based study using only correlates of schizotypal traits (paranoia, dissociation, cognitive failures, fantasy proneness, and unusual sleep experiences) and examining which (if any) predicted optimal performance on an insight problem-solving task. One hundred and twenty-one participants were recruited online from the general population and completed the number reduction task. The discovery of the hidden rule (HR) was used as a measure of insight. Multivariate logistic regression analyses highlighted persecutory ideation to best predict the discovery of the HR (OR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.01–1.10, p = 0.017), with a one-point increase in persecutory ideas corresponding to the participant being 5% more likely to discover the HR. This result suggests that persecutory ideation, above other schizotypy correlates, may be involved in insight problem solving.
Highlights
The term schizotypy was first introduced in excess of 60 years ago to define a multi-dimensional personality type which encompasses a broad range of schizophrenia-like phenotypes and impairment (Kwapil and Chun, 2015)
The probability of discovering the hidden rule (HR) increased with increasing persecutory ideation, which suggests that persecutory paranoia may relate to insight problem solving and creative thinking
Based on preceding studies by Wagner et al (2004) and Yordanova et al (2008), we predicted that there would be a significantly higher attainment of the HR for those who slept, but this was not observed in the present study
Summary
The term schizotypy was first introduced in excess of 60 years ago to define a multi-dimensional personality type which encompasses a broad range of schizophrenia-like phenotypes and impairment (Kwapil and Chun, 2015). The cognitive processes underlying creative thinking are thought to involve both divergent (DT; the relaxing of boundaries between concepts, which allows for a broader associative network to develop; Guilford, 1956) and convergent thinking (CT; logically assembling connections and moving toward a single correct solution; Claridge and McDonald, 2009) abilities. The combination of these two parameters in creative thinking has often been examined through insight problem solving (DeYoung et al, 2008). Insight problem-solving tasks are intended to be simple (but not straightforward) and require conceiving of a diverse number of approaches to solving the problem (DT) and subsequently filtering down these approaches to find the correct solution (Webb et al, 2017)
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