Insight predicts subsequent memory via cortical representational change and hippocampal activity

Abstract

The neural mechanisms driving creative problem-solving, including representational change and its relation to memory, still remain largely unknown. We focus on the creative process of insight, wherein rapid knowledge reorganization and integration—termed representational change—yield solutions that evoke suddenness, certainty, positive emotion, and enduring memory. We posit that this process is associated with stronger shifts in activation patterns within brain regions housing solution-relevant information, including the visual cortex for visual problems, alongside regions linked to feelings of emotion, suddenness and subsequent memory. To test this, we collect participants’ brain activity while they solve visual insight problems in the MRI. Our findings substantiate these hypotheses, revealing stronger representational changes in visual cortex, coupled with activations in the amygdala and hippocampus—forming an interconnected network. Importantly, representational change and hippocampal effects are positively associated with subsequent memory. This study provides evidence of an integrated insight mechanism influencing memory.