Insight
Encyclopedia
Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect
in a specific context. Insight can be used with several related meanings:
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
, insight can mean the ability to recognize one's own mental illness
. 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. 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. Patients with Alzheimer's disease
, schizophrenia
and various psychotic conditions tend to have very poor awareness that anything is wrong with them.
"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:
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. 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. 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.
word for "insight" is "vipassana
", which has been adopted as the name of a kind of Buddhist meditation.
Departments”, Insight Management Unit, Consumer Insight and so on. This extends to the job titles of executives working in those areas. One reason for this development was a realisation that the emphasis of results from individual research projects needed to be shifted to a wider understanding of the dynamics operating in the full market place. Another reason was the impact of information technology. Progress in technology gave way to the availability of masses of information found in databases. The advantages of Insight Management are numerous. By making use of all existing information, there is less need to consult customers, thereby minimising unnecessary contact and
costs.
s' attitudes and beliefs, which connect at an emotional level with your consumer, provoking a clear response (This brand understands me! That is exactly how I feel! — even if they've never thought about it quite like that) which, when leveraged, has the power to change consumer behavior. Insights must affect a change in consumer behavior that benefits your brand
, leading to the achievement of the marketing
objective.
Insights can be based on:
Insights are most effective when they are/do one of the following:
Cause and effect
Cause and effect refers to the philosophical concept of causality, in which an action or event will produce a certain response to the action in the form of another event....
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 intuitivelyIntuition (knowledge)Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason. "The word 'intuition' comes from the Latin word 'intueri', which is often roughly translated as meaning 'to look inside'’ or 'to contemplate'." Intuition provides us with beliefs that we cannot necessarily justify...
in Greek called noesis - an introspectionIntrospectionIntrospection is the self-observation and reporting of conscious inner thoughts, desires and sensations. It is a conscious and purposive process relying on thinking, reasoning, and examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and, in more spiritual cases, one's soul...
- the power of acute observation and deductionDeductive reasoningDeductive reasoning, also called deductive logic, is reasoning which constructs or evaluates deductive arguments. Deductive arguments are attempts to show that a conclusion necessarily follows from a set of premises or hypothesis...
, penetration, discernmentDiscernmentDiscernment is a term used to describe the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event. Typically, it is used to describe the activity of going past the mere perception of something, to making detailed judgments about that thing...
, perceptionPerceptionPerception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
called intellection or noesis - an understanding of cause and effect based on identification of relationships and behaviors within a model, context, or scenario (see artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
)
An insight that manifests itself suddenly, such as understanding how to solve a difficult problem, is sometimes called by the German word Aha-Erlebnis
Eureka effect
The eureka effect is any sudden unexpected discovery, or the sudden realization of the solution to a problem, resulting in a eureka moment , also dubbed as "breakthrough thinking"...
. The term was coined by the German psychologist and theoretical linguist Karl Bühler. It is also known as an epiphany
Epiphany (feeling)
An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something...
.
In psychology and psychiatry
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, insight can mean the ability to recognize one's own mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. 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. 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
Anosognosia
Anosognosia /æˌnɒsɒgˈnəʊsɪə/ is a condition in which a person who suffers disability seems unaware of the existence of his or her disability. Unlike denial, which is a defense mechanism, anosognosia is rooted in physiology...
, 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. Patients with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
, schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and various psychotic conditions tend to have very poor awareness that anything is wrong with them.
"Insight" can also refer to other matters in psychology. Problem solving
Problem solving
Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
behavior requiring insight is the subject of insight phenomenology
Insight phenomenology
When people solve, or attempt to solve an insight puzzle, they experience a common phenomenology, that is, a set of behavioural properties that accompany problem-solving activity...
.
An insight is the derivation of a rule which links cause with effect
Effect
Effect may refer to:* A result or change of something** List of effects** Cause and effect, an idiom describing causalityIn pharmacy and pharmacology:* Drug effect, a change resulting from the administration of a drug...
. The mind
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
is a model of the universe built up from insights.
Thoughts of the mind fall into two categories:
- Analysis of past experience with the purpose of gaining insight for use within this model at a later date
- 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
Scientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
', 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. 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. 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.
In religion
The PaliPáli
- External links :* *...
word for "insight" is "vipassana
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
", which has been adopted as the name of a kind of Buddhist meditation.
In business
Nigel Bradley points out a recent development in the world of business. There has been the emergence of new departments in corporations which carry the word “Insight” in their titles. We have “Customer InsightCustomer insight
Customer Insight is the collection, deployment and interpretation of information that allows a business to acquire, develop and retain their customers.-Analysis:...
Departments”, Insight Management Unit, Consumer Insight and so on. This extends to the job titles of executives working in those areas. One reason for this development was a realisation that the emphasis of results from individual research projects needed to be shifted to a wider understanding of the dynamics operating in the full market place. Another reason was the impact of information technology. Progress in technology gave way to the availability of masses of information found in databases. The advantages of Insight Management are numerous. By making use of all existing information, there is less need to consult customers, thereby minimising unnecessary contact and
costs.
In marketing
Conroy (2008) points out that an insight is a statement based on a deep understanding of your target consumerConsumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
s' attitudes and beliefs, which connect at an emotional level with your consumer, provoking a clear response (This brand understands me! That is exactly how I feel! — even if they've never thought about it quite like that) which, when leveraged, has the power to change consumer behavior. Insights must affect a change in consumer behavior that benefits your brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
, leading to the achievement of the marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
objective.
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 disequilibrium
- Change momentum
- Exploited via a benefit or point of difference that your brand can deliver
Further reading
- Bradley, Nigel, (2007), Marketing Research: Tools and Techniques, Oxford: Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
. ISBN 9780199281961 - Lehrer, Jonah, Annals of Science: "The Eureka Hunt: Why do good ideas come to us when they do?". — The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. (c/o Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
), July 28, 2008. (Adobe Acrobat *PDF document)