The Einstellung-effect. Theory and experiment

Abstract

Some phenomena of the problem-solving rigidity have been investigated. Considering the experimentally obtained data (experiment 1) it can be stated that there exist at least two types of rigidity: 1. The motivational rigidity (the Einstellung-effect and the like), which tends to increase in anxiety; 2. The intellectual rigidity, which is awoken during the solution of insight problems and which is not characterized by the above-mentioned tendency, but manifests the significant correlation with the Intelligence Quotient. In the experiment 2 the hypothesis has been tested, according to which the failure-avoidance tendency may be one of the possible determinants of the motivational rigidity. The obtained data has shown that the subjects with prevailing success-achievement tendency manifest considerably weaker Einstellung-effect than the subjects in whom the failure-avoidance tendency prevails. Uznadze's Theory of ustanovka as served as a theoretical background for the research