Is Aha! experience a holistic construct?

The Aha! experience – a sudden joy of understanding after numerous attempts to solve a problem -- represents one of the key moments of insight problem solving. Although definitions of the Aha! experience vary from descriptions emphasizing the suddenness and obviousness of the solution to those highlighting the fundamental role of positive emotions, many insight studies assume that the Aha! experience is holistic. To test this assumption, we collected a dataset of previously published studies in which participants used metacognitive assessments (pleasure, surprise, suddenness, relief, certainty, drive) to evaluate their solution process. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we compared one-factor and two-factor models of the Aha! experience. Results revealed that a two-factor model fit the data significantly better than a one-factor model, with surprise and suddenness forming one factor, while pleasure, relief, certainty, and drive formed another. We hypothesized these factors might correspond to different insight sequences: pop-out solutions or true insight following impasse and representational change. However, this hypothesis was not supported when using solution time as a proxy for insight sequence type. These findings suggest the Aha! experience is not a unitary construct but comprises multiple components potentially linked to different psychological mechanisms.