Developing and Evaluating Visual Analogies to Support Insight and Creative Problem Solving Eric Luchian, BFA, MFA School of Computing and Communications Lancaster University A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 31st March 2019 Reviewer: Reviewer: Day of the defence: Head of PhD committee: ii Declaration This written thesis, including the portfolio of created visual analogies in static and multimedia formats (i.e., www.luchian.info), results entirely from my own work except where jointly authored (see Appendix 14-18) in publications as follows: 1. Luchian, E., & Sas, C. (2019). Erroneous Features in Freehand Sketching: Opportunities to Generate Visual Analogies. Proceedings of the 23rd World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics: WMSCI 2019. 1, pp. 86-92. Orlando, USA: IIIS. 2. Luchian, E., & Sas, C. (2011). Image Schemata in Animated Metaphors for Insight Problem Solving. C&C ’11 Proceedings of the 8th ACM conference on Creativity and Cognition (pp. 369-370). Atlanta, USA: ACM. 3. Luchian, E. (2011). Develop and Evaluate Visual Analogies to Support Insight and Creative Problem Solving. Proceedings of the DESIRE'11 Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Design (pp. 433-434). Eindhoven, The Netherlands: ACM. 4. Sas, C., Luchian, E., & Ball, L. (2010). Investigating Visual Analogies for Visual Insight Problems. Proceedings of the 1st DESIRE Network Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Design (pp. 90-100). Aarhus, Denmark: ACM. I hereby declare that work from this thesis has not been offered previously for any other degree or diploma to this or any other university, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material written or published by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. Signature: Date: 31st March 2019 iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Corina Sas, Professor in Human-Computer Interaction and Digital Health and my Ph.D supervisor for the patient guidance, encouragement and advice she has provided throughout my doctoral studies. Thank you also to all scholars in the School of Computing & Communications at Lancaster University for your support, wisdom and smiles when I needed them the most in this journey. Many thanks to the entire supervisory team of the DESIRE network: Professor Linden Ball, Professor Bo T. Christensen, and Professor Alan Dix. Thank you also to invited speakers and my fellow researchers from the DESIRE network for those late-night discussions and debates on design and creativity issues at our summer school gatherings. Above all, I wish to thank my wonderful wife, who never had doubts that I would complete the journey, for her unconditional love and support. This work was part of the DESIRE network and supported by the Initial Training Network “Marie Curie Actions”, funded by the FP7 People Programme (PITN-GA- 215446) entitled “DESIRE: Creative Design for Innovation in Science and Technology”. iv Contents Contents ......................................................................................................... v List of Figures ............................................................................................... x List of Tables ............................................................................................... xii List of Appendices ..................................................................................... xiii Abstract ...................................................................................................... xiv 1 Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Overview .................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Motivation and Aims ................................................................................. 2 1.2.1 Motivation ............................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Aims of the Research .............................................................................. 3 1.3 Research Question and Objectives ............................................................. 3 1.4 Research Methodology and Methods Used ............................................... 4 1.4.1 The Use of ‘I’ and ‘We’ in the Thesis .................................................... 4 1.5 Main Contributions .................................................................................... 4 1.6 Thesis Structure ......................................................................................... 5 1.6.1 Chapter One - Introduction ..................................................................... 5 1.6.2 Chapter Two - Literature Review: Part I - Analogy and Problem Solving in the Context of Creativity ....................................................... 5 1.6.3 Chapter Three – Literature Review: Part II - Visual Analogies: Static and Dynamic ................................................................................. 6 1.6.4 Chapter Four – Research Methodology and Methods Used ................... 6 1.6.5 Chapters Five through Eight – The 8-Coin Problem Experiments ......... 6 1.6.6 Chapter Nine – Solving the Cheap Necklace Problem with Animated Visual Analogies .................................................................... 6 1.6.7 Chapter Ten – Sketching as a Generative Tool for Visual Analogy ....... 6 1.6.8 Chapter Eleven – General Discussion ..................................................... 7 1.6.9 Chapter Twelve – Conclusion ................................................................. 7 2 Analogy and Problem Solving in the Context of Creativity ............... 8 2.1 The Interdisciplinary Approach ................................................................. 8 2.1.1 Conceptualization of Creativity .............................................................. 8 2.1.2 Visual Analogies and Problem Solving in the Context of Creativity ............................................................................................... 11 2.2 Theories of Creativity .............................................................................. 13 2.2.1 The Creative Cognition Approach ........................................................ 13 2.2.1.1 Geneplore Model ................................................................................ 14 2.2.1.2 Embodied Cognition Theory .............................................................. 15 2.2.2 Componential Theories of Creativity .................................................... 17 2.2.2.1 Amabile’s Approach .......................................................................... 18 2.2.2.2 Csíkszentmihályi’s - A Systems View of Creativity .......................... 21 2.2.2.3 Woodman and Schoenfeldt - The Interactionist Model ..................... 23 2.2.2.4 Sternberg and Lubart – The Investment Approach ............................ 24 2.2.2.5 Runco and Chand – Two-Tiered Theory ............................................ 25 v 2.3 Problem Solving ....................................................................................... 26 2.3.1 Theories and Approaches to Problem Solving ...................................... 27 2.3.1.1 Gestalt Psychology Approach ............................................................ 27 2.3.1.2 Associative Theory ............................................................................. 28 2.3.1.3 Information Processing Theory .......................................................... 28 2.3.1.4 Theory of Hints .................................................................................. 29 2.3.2 Processes in Problem Solving ............................................................... 30 2.3.3 Strategies in Problem Solving ............................................................... 33 2.3.4 Insight Problems ................................................................................... 36 2.3.5 Creative Problems ................................................................................. 43 2.4 The Role of Analogy in Problem Solving ................................................ 45 2.4.1 Structure-Mapping Theory .................................................................... 47 3 Visual Analogies: Static and Dynamic ................................................ 48 3.1 Visual Analogy and Problem Solving ...................................................... 48 3.1.1 Visual Analogy in Insight Problem Solving ......................................... 49 3.1.2 Visual Analogy in Creative Problem Solving ....................................... 50 3.2 Static Versus Animated Visual Analogy ................................................. 51 3.3 Visual Analogy Representation ............................................................... 54 3.3.1 Pictorial Properties of Visual Analogy ................................................. 54 3.3.2 Scale and Multiple Psychologies of Space ........................................... 55 3.4 Making Analogies .................................................................................... 56 3.4.1 Generating Visual Analogies ................................................................ 57 3.4.1 Sketching as a Thinking-Act Tool ........................................................ 59 3.4.2 Selecting an Environmental Stimulus ................................................... 60 3.4.3 Methods to Generate Analogies ............................................................ 61