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Young Children's Understanding and Experience of Insight

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Title: Young Children's Understanding and Experience of Insight
Language: English
Authors: Mathilde H. Prenevost (ORCID 0000-0003-2451-1262), Ida B. R. Nilsen, Evalill Bølstad, Francisco Pons, Paul L. Harris, Rolf Reber
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2025 61(3):556-571.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Young Children, Cognitive Processes, Experience, Child Development, Age Differences, Cognitive Development, Accuracy, Foreign Countries, Self Esteem, Motivation, Problem Solving
Geographic Terms: Norway (Oslo)
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Remote Associates Test
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001807
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: An insight is a moment of sudden understanding followed by characteristic feelings of suddenness, positive affect, certainty, and ease, commonly known as an aha experience. Despite evidence from studies with adults that aha experiences benefit learning, little systematic research on children's aha experiences exists. The present study asks how children understand and experience insight. We presented a community sample of 160 children (age: 4-8 years, 47% girls, 51% boys, 2% nonbinary) with an illustrated clues task inspired by the Remote Associate Test, a task commonly used to study insight in adults. In this task, children saw three clues and were asked to find a solution word that was associated with the three clues. Self-reported and observed aha experiences were recorded, along with children's solution accuracy and confidence. Children also answered a set of questions to assess their understanding of aha experiences. We found that although the number of aha experiences remained stable across age, there was a clear developmental increase in the understanding of aha experiences. Children's ability to recognize their own aha experiences as well as their general understanding of the aha concept increased with age. This suggests a lag between the occurrence of children's aha experiences and their understanding of such experiences; children first have aha experiences and later develop an understanding of those experiences. Aha experiences were associated with higher accuracy, but not with higher confidence ratings. Observed aha experiences, but not self-reported aha experiences, predicted increased motivation. Our findings are in line with the literature on metacognitive development and the distinction between the experience and the understanding of emotion.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/5w486
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502409
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Young Children's Understanding and Experience of Insight
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mathilde+H%2E+Prenevost%22">Mathilde H. Prenevost</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2451-1262">0000-0003-2451-1262</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ida+B%2E+R%2E+Nilsen%22">Ida B. R. Nilsen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Evalill+Bølstad%22">Evalill Bølstad</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Francisco+Pons%22">Francisco Pons</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paul+L%2E+Harris%22">Paul L. Harris</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rolf+Reber%22">Rolf Reber</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2025 61(3):556-571.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: 16
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Processes%22">Cognitive Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experience%22">Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Development%22">Child Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Development%22">Cognitive Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accuracy%22">Accuracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Esteem%22">Self Esteem</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motivation%22">Motivation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Problem+Solving%22">Problem Solving</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Norway+%28Oslo%29%22">Norway (Oslo)</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001807
– Name: ISSN
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: An insight is a moment of sudden understanding followed by characteristic feelings of suddenness, positive affect, certainty, and ease, commonly known as an aha experience. Despite evidence from studies with adults that aha experiences benefit learning, little systematic research on children's aha experiences exists. The present study asks how children understand and experience insight. We presented a community sample of 160 children (age: 4-8 years, 47% girls, 51% boys, 2% nonbinary) with an illustrated clues task inspired by the Remote Associate Test, a task commonly used to study insight in adults. In this task, children saw three clues and were asked to find a solution word that was associated with the three clues. Self-reported and observed aha experiences were recorded, along with children's solution accuracy and confidence. Children also answered a set of questions to assess their understanding of aha experiences. We found that although the number of aha experiences remained stable across age, there was a clear developmental increase in the understanding of aha experiences. Children's ability to recognize their own aha experiences as well as their general understanding of the aha concept increased with age. This suggests a lag between the occurrence of children's aha experiences and their understanding of such experiences; children first have aha experiences and later develop an understanding of those experiences. Aha experiences were associated with higher accuracy, but not with higher confidence ratings. Observed aha experiences, but not self-reported aha experiences, predicted increased motivation. Our findings are in line with the literature on metacognitive development and the distinction between the experience and the understanding of emotion.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: https://osf.io/5w486
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Accession Number
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  Data: EJ1502409
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0001807
    Languages:
      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 556
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      – SubjectFull: Young Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognitive Processes
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      – SubjectFull: Experience
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