Model breaking can be seen in certain kinds of riddles, called insight problems. Preexisting models have to be taken apart in order to see the problem in a fresh way. Here’s an example: I’m in years but not months. I’m in weeks but not days. What am I? This riddle is difficult, and unless you’ve heard it before or have low latent inhibition, it’s unlikely you’ll figure out that the answer is the letter e. The riddle draws you into a calendar-based model, leading you to inhibit apparently irrelevant information, such as the letters that make up the words.
