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Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving. / Sio, Ut Na; Monaghan, Padraic; Ormerod, Tom.
In: Memory and Cognition, Vol. 41, No. 2, 02.2013, p. 159-166.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Sio, UN, Monaghan, P & Ormerod, T 2013, 'Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving', Memory and Cognition, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 159-166. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7

APA

Sio, U. N., Monaghan, P., & Ormerod, T. (2013). Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving. Memory and Cognition, 41(2), 159-166. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7

Vancouver

Sio UN, Monaghan P, Ormerod T. Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving. Memory and Cognition. 2013 Feb;41(2):159-166. doi: 10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7

Author

Sio, Ut Na ; Monaghan, Padraic ; Ormerod, Tom. / Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult : effects of sleep on problem solving. In: Memory and Cognition. 2013 ; Vol. 41, No. 2. pp. 159-166.

Bibtex

@article{c8244697e4b4479486b083e47f6a0275,
title = "Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving",
abstract = "Previous research has shown that performance on problem solving improves over a period of sleep compared to wakefulness. However, these studies have not determined whether sleep is beneficial for problem solving or whether sleep merely mitigates against interference due to an interruption to solution attempts. Sleep-dependent improvements have been described in terms of spreading-activation, which raises the prediction that an effect of sleep should be greater for problems requiring a broader solution search. We presented participants with a set of remote associates tasks that varied in difficulty as a function of the strength of the stimuli-answer associations. After a period of sleep, wake, or no-delay, participants reattempted previously unsolved problems. The sleep group solved more difficult problems than the other groups, but no difference was found for easy problems. We conclude that sleep facilitates problem solving, most likely via spreading activation, but this has its primary effect for harder problems",
keywords = "Insight, Problem solving, Sleep, Learning, Task complexity, INSIGHT, INCUBATION, ACTIVATION, MEMORY, INFORMATION, FIXATION",
author = "Sio, {Ut Na} and Padraic Monaghan and Tom Ormerod",
year = "2013",
month = feb,
doi = "10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7",
language = "English",
volume = "41",
pages = "159--166",
journal = "Memory and Cognition",
issn = "0090-502X",
publisher = "Springer New York",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult

T2 - effects of sleep on problem solving

AU - Sio, Ut Na

AU - Monaghan, Padraic

AU - Ormerod, Tom

PY - 2013/2

Y1 - 2013/2

N2 - Previous research has shown that performance on problem solving improves over a period of sleep compared to wakefulness. However, these studies have not determined whether sleep is beneficial for problem solving or whether sleep merely mitigates against interference due to an interruption to solution attempts. Sleep-dependent improvements have been described in terms of spreading-activation, which raises the prediction that an effect of sleep should be greater for problems requiring a broader solution search. We presented participants with a set of remote associates tasks that varied in difficulty as a function of the strength of the stimuli-answer associations. After a period of sleep, wake, or no-delay, participants reattempted previously unsolved problems. The sleep group solved more difficult problems than the other groups, but no difference was found for easy problems. We conclude that sleep facilitates problem solving, most likely via spreading activation, but this has its primary effect for harder problems

AB - Previous research has shown that performance on problem solving improves over a period of sleep compared to wakefulness. However, these studies have not determined whether sleep is beneficial for problem solving or whether sleep merely mitigates against interference due to an interruption to solution attempts. Sleep-dependent improvements have been described in terms of spreading-activation, which raises the prediction that an effect of sleep should be greater for problems requiring a broader solution search. We presented participants with a set of remote associates tasks that varied in difficulty as a function of the strength of the stimuli-answer associations. After a period of sleep, wake, or no-delay, participants reattempted previously unsolved problems. The sleep group solved more difficult problems than the other groups, but no difference was found for easy problems. We conclude that sleep facilitates problem solving, most likely via spreading activation, but this has its primary effect for harder problems

KW - Insight

KW - Problem solving

KW - Sleep

KW - Learning

KW - Task complexity

KW - INSIGHT

KW - INCUBATION

KW - ACTIVATION

KW - MEMORY

KW - INFORMATION

KW - FIXATION

U2 - 10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7

DO - 10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7

M3 - Journal article

VL - 41

SP - 159

EP - 166

JO - Memory and Cognition

JF - Memory and Cognition

SN - 0090-502X

IS - 2

ER -