A Multiconceptual Approach to Forgetting Prose-Induced Fixation in Creative Problem-Solving

Problem-solving has been shown to be impaired after prestrengthening of misleading associations. Importantly, this detrimental effect can be mitigated by rendering distracting information less accessible. Following a practical approach, we set out to examine how processing of prose material containing misleading information affects subsequent problem-solving performance and whether aid provided by simulated intelligent assistance software can be beneficial in this setting. Results indicated that (a) prose material can induce fixation in a similar manner as single-item lists and that (b) this fixation can be overcome by simulating two main features of an artificial intelligence based assistance software. First, individual tasks are presented and automatically saved in unique work contexts. Second, users can actively switch back and forth between contexts. Resembling a form of memory updating based on context-dependent forgetting, these findings provide evidence on how higher human cognition can be significantly enhanced by interacting with an interface that supports switching between work contexts.