Insight learning is the abrupt realisation of a problem’s solution through cognitive reasoning
- It is not a result of trial and error, responding to a stimulus or mimicry through observation
Insight learning was first described by Wolfgang Kohler, who studied the behaviour of a chimpanzee named Sultan
- Sultan was placed in a cage and a piece of food was placed outside of his reach
- Sultan was presented with a short stick, which he learned to use to drag the food close enough to reach
- Kohler then moved the food outside of the range of the short stick but placed a longer stick within range
- Sultan used the short stick to reach the longer stick, and then used the longer stick to reach the food
- Sultan was never conditioned to use the short stick in this way – he had demonstrated insight learning
Insight learning is typically seen in organisms with higher cognitive functions – including primates, dolphins and crows
Pigeon Solves a Simple Problem
Crow Solves a Complex Problem