Insight
Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect in a specific context.
Insight can be used with several related meanings:
- a piece of information
- the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively in Greek called noesis
- an introspection
- the power of acute observation and deductive reasoning, penetration, discernment, perception called intellection or noesis
- an understanding of cause and effect based on identification of relationships and behaviors within a model, context, or scenario
An insight that manifests itself suddenly, such as understanding how to solve a difficult problem, is sometimes called by the German word Aha-Erlebnis. The term was coined by the German psychologist and theoretical linguist Karl Bühler. It is also known as an epiphany.
In psychology and psychiatry
In psychology and psychiatry, insight can mean the ability to recognize one's own mental illness.[1] This form of insight has multiple dimensions, such as recognizing the need for treatment, and recognizing consequences of one's behavior as stemming from an illness.[2] A person with very poor recognition or acknowledgment is referred to as having "poor insight" or "lack of insight." The most extreme form is Anosognosia, which is the total absence of insight into one's own mental illness. Many mental illnesses are associated with varying levels of insight. For example, people with obsessive compulsive disorder and various phobias tend to have relatively good insight that they have a problem and that their thoughts and/or actions are unreasonable, yet are compelled to carry out the thoughts and actions regardless.[3] Patients with Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and various psychotic conditions tend to have very poor awareness that anything is wrong with them.[4]
"Insight" can also refer to other matters in psychology. Problem solving behavior requiring insight is the subject of insight phenomenology.
An insight is the derivation of a rule which links cause with effect. The mind is a model of the universe built up from insights.
Thoughts of the mind fall into two categories:
- 1) Analysis of past experience with the purpose of gaining insight for use within this model at a later date
- 2) Simulations of future scenarios using existing insights in the mind model in order to predict outcomes
A mature mind has assimilated many insights and understands cause and effect. When insight is not subordinate to a validation discipline like the 'scientific method', fallacious thinking can result in a confused mind.
Intuition, which is often described in the popular literature as an alternative thought process, is merely another manifestation of insight.[5] In this process, multiple bits of seemingly unrelated data are linked together and a hypothesis or plan of action is generated. Usually this process is generated in a novel situation. Such a circumstance links data which had previously seemed unrelated.[6] The categories and analytical process, however, are not distinct from any other form of insight. The only difference is the degree of novelty of the stimulus.
Insights can be based on:
- Real or perceived weakness to be exploited in competitive product performance or value
- Attitudinal or perceived barrier in the minds of consumers, regarding your brand
- Untapped or compelling belief or practice
Insights are most effective when they are/do one of the following:
- Unexpected
- Create a disequilibria
- Change momentum
- Exploited via a benefit or point of difference that your brand can deliver
References
- ↑ Marková I.S. (2005) Insight in Psychiatry. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
- ↑ Ghaemi, S. Nassir (2002). Polypharmacy in Psychiatry. Hoboken: Informa Healthcare. ISBN 0-8247-0776-1.
- ↑ Markova I S, Jaafari N & Berrios G E (2009) Insight and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A conceptual analysis. Psychopathology 42: 277-282
- ↑ Marková I.S., Berrios G.E. & Hodges J H (2004) Insight into Memory Function. Neurology, Psychiatry & Brain Research 11: 115-126
- ↑ AJ Giannini, J Daood, MC Giannini, RS Boniface, PG Rhodes. Intellect versus intuition—a dichotomy in the reception of nonverbal communication.Journal of General Psychology. 99:19–25,1978.
- ↑ AJ Giannini, ME Barringer, MC Giannini, RH Loiselle. Lack of relationship between handedness and intuitive and intellectual (rationalistic) modes of information processing. Journal of General Psychology.111:31–37,1984.
