Learning from mistakes: Inducing analogous solution failures to a source problem produces later successes in analogical transfer

In 4 experiments we investigated the use of analogical problem solving to facilitate the solution to a problem that usually results in persistent solution failures without hints. The results of Experiments 1-3 indicate that spontaneous transfer was facilitated by a manipulation of the surface form of the source problem that tends to induce initial solution failures analogous to those produced to the target problem. Surface similarity of content words and diagrams had no effect on transfer in Experiments 1-3. In Experiment 4, facilitation of spontaneous transfer was not obtained when source solution failures were prevented. The importance of failed solutions in problem representation and the relationship between problem representation and surface similarity are discussed