Unveiling the Aha! moment: A computational account of insight in active inference

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Publication Details

Journal
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
Published
2026-09-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-026-02983-8
Primary Topic
Embodied and Extended Cognition
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Unveiling the Aha! moment: A computational account of insight in active inference

Hans Stuyck, Giovanni Pezzulo, Youssef Doulfoukar
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
Embodied and Extended Cognition
article

Unveiling the Aha! moment: A computational account of insight in active inference

Hans Stuyck, Giovanni Pezzulo, Youssef Doulfoukar
article en

Abstract

Insight, also referred to as the "Aha!" moment, is a distinctive cognitive phenomenon in which an idea or solution to a problem suddenly emerges into consciousness. Although the literature describes it extensively, the nature of its distinctive cognitive and affective mechanisms remains poorly understood. In this paper, we formalize a computational approach to insight grounded in the active inference framework. By modeling insight as Bayesian model reduction in a modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, we show that the model can reproduce a broader computational profile associated with insight, including discontinuous transitions in behavior and confidence, a transient peak in Bayesian surprise, and a phasic increase in expected precision. In light of those simulations, we interpret restructuring as Bayesian model reduction within the present modeling framework and impasse as a transient state of heightened uncertainty over possible actions. Finally, we propose that, during problem-solving, one regularly engages in phases of (generative) replay to generate and evaluate alternative models for subsequent model reduction.

Psychonomic Bulletin & ReviewVol. 33(7)
SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (CH), University of Zurich (CH), ETH Zurich (CH), VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research (BE), National Research Council (IT), Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Embodied and Extended Cognition
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