The effect of spatial structures on analogical problem solving

A critical step in analogical problem solving is recognizing structural similarities between the source (a known problem and its solution) and the target (the current problem). This task becomes particularly challenging when the source and target come from semantically distant domains. Previous research has suggested that global spatial configurations play an important role in detecting structural similarities. However, this effect has only been demonstrated in visual analogies. The present study aimed to investigate whether the salience of spatial structures is also relevant in verbal analogical problem solving. To this end, we manipulated the explicitness of the spatial relations described in the source narrative, as well as the method used for source processing (written summary, schematic drawing, or analogy creation). The results indicated that both the inclusion of explicit spatial features and schematic drawing enhanced analogical transfer. Schematic drawing was particularly effective when the narrative did not make the spatial properties explicit, suggesting that it promoted the inference of spatial relations. However, these effects only emerged when participants were informed about the relevance of the source. In contrast, analogy creation, which promotes the abstraction of causal relations leading to the solution, facilitated spontaneous analogical transfer. This effect was more pronounced when the source narrative included explicit spatial features. Therefore, while salient global spatial relations enhance the recognition of structural similarities between source and target analogs, understanding the causal relations underlying the solution supports successful analogical problem solving.