title: Sleep promotes analogical transfer in problem solving.
abstract: Analogical problem solving requires using a known solution from one problem to apply to a related problem. Sleep is known to have profound effects on memory and information restructuring, and so we tested whether sleep promoted such analogical transfer, determining whether improvement was due to subjective memory for problems, subjective recognition of similarity across related problems, or by abstract generalisation of structure. In Experiment 1, participants were exposed to a set of source problems. Then, after a 12-h period involving sleep or wake, they attempted target problems structurally related to the source problems but with different surface features. Experiment 2 controlled for time of day effects by testing participants either in the morning or the evening. Sleep improved analogical transfer, but effects were not due to improvements in subjective memory or similarity recognition, but rather effects of structural generalisation across problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, UK. Electronic address: p.monaghan@lancaster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Padraic
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monaghan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, United States.
authors.forename: Ut Na
authors.initials: UN
authors.lastname: Sio
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, UK.
authors.forename: Sum Wai
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, UK.
authors.forename: Hoi Kei
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, UK.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Linkenauger
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Ormerod
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D014163:Transfer, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Analogical transfer; Information restructuring; Memory; Problem solving; Sleep