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Toenders YJ, Green KH, Te Brinke LW, van der Cruijsen R, van de Groep S, Crone EA. From developmental neuroscience to policy: A novel framework based on participatory research. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 67:101398. [PMID: 38850964 PMCID: PMC11200278 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Insights from developmental neuroscience are not always translated to actionable policy decisions. In this review, we explore the potential of bridging the gap between developmental neuroscience and policy through youth participatory research approaches. As the current generation of adolescents lives in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing society, their lived experiences are crucial for both research and policy. Moreover, their active involvement holds significant promise, given their heightened creativity and need to contribute. We therefore advocate for a transdisciplinary framework that fosters collaboration between developmental scientists, adolescents, and policy makers in addressing complex societal challenges. We highlight the added value of adolescents' lived experiences in relation to two pressing societal issues affecting adolescents' mental health: performance pressure and social inequality. By integrating firsthand lived experiences with insights from developmental neuroscience, we provide a foundation for progress in informed policy decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara J Toenders
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Kayla H Green
- Developmental Neuroscience in Society, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lysanne W Te Brinke
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Suzanne van de Groep
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Developmental Neuroscience in Society, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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2
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González Moreno A, Molero Jurado MDM. Creativity as a Positive Factor in the Adolescence Stage: Relations with Academic Performance, Stress and Self-Esteem. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:997. [PMID: 38131853 PMCID: PMC10740570 DOI: 10.3390/bs13120997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Creativity is a construct that aids in conflict resolution. Through the development of creative skills in adolescence, young people can carry out a series of strategies to make decisions or respond to a problem. The possession of creative skills helps students' personal wellbeing. The aim of this research is to analyze the relationships established between creativity and other individual variables such as academic performance, self-esteem and stress in adolescent students. The following descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with a total sample of 743 adolescent students, between 14 and 19 years of age, from different educational centers in the province of Almería (Spain). The results obtained indicate a positive correlation between creativity and self-esteem and significant differences in the level of creativity among students who have repeated an academic year. Regression analyses indicate that both stress and creativity are two predictor variables of self-esteem. On the other hand, another of the findings obtained is that creativity acts as a mediating variable between self-esteem and repeating an academic year. It is discussed how creativity is a beneficial element in adolescence and, therefore, how its promotion can help the optimal development of adolescent students.
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Zhuang K, Zeitlen DC, Beaty RE, Vatansever D, Chen Q, Qiu J. Diverse functional interaction driven by control-default network hubs supports creative thinking. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11206-11224. [PMID: 37823346 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex cognitive processes, like creative thinking, rely on interactions among multiple neurocognitive processes to generate effective and innovative behaviors on demand, for which the brain's connector hubs play a crucial role. However, the unique contribution of specific hub sets to creative thinking is unknown. Employing three functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets (total N = 1,911), we demonstrate that connector hub sets are organized in a hierarchical manner based on diversity, with "control-default hubs"-which combine regions from the frontoparietal control and default mode networks-positioned at the apex. Specifically, control-default hubs exhibit the most diverse resting-state connectivity profiles and play the most substantial role in facilitating interactions between regions with dissimilar neurocognitive functions, a phenomenon we refer to as "diverse functional interaction". Critically, we found that the involvement of control-default hubs in facilitating diverse functional interaction robustly relates to creativity, explaining both task-induced functional connectivity changes and individual creative performance. Our findings suggest that control-default hubs drive diverse functional interaction in the brain, enabling complex cognition, including creative thinking. We thus uncover a biologically plausible explanation that further elucidates the widely reported contributions of certain frontoparietal control and default mode network regions in creativity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixiang Zhuang
- School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Daniel C Zeitlen
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16801, United States
| | - Roger E Beaty
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16801, United States
| | - Deniz Vatansever
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Qunlin Chen
- School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
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Kruse JA, Martin CS, Hamlin N, Slattery E, Moriarty EM, Horne LK, Ozkalp-Poincloux B, Camarda A, White SF, Oleson J, Cassotti M, Doucet GE. Changes of creative ability and underlying brain network connectivity throughout the lifespan. Brain Cogn 2023; 168:105975. [PMID: 37031635 PMCID: PMC10175225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.105975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Creativity, or divergent thinking, is essential to and supported by cognitive functions necessary for everyday tasks. The current study investigates divergent thinking and its neural mechanisms from adolescence to late adulthood. To do this, 180 healthy participants completed a creativity task called the egg task including 86 adolescents (mean age (SD) = 13.62 (1.98)), 52 young adults (24.92 (3.60), and 42 older adults (62.84 (7.02)). Additionally, a subsample of 111 participants completed a resting-state fMRI scan. After investigating the impact of age on different divergent thinking metrics, we investigated the impact of age on the association between divergent thinking and resting-state functional connectivity within and between major resting-state brain networks associated with creative thinking: the DMN, ECN, and SN. Adolescents tended to be less creative than both young and older adults in divergent thinking scores related to expansion creativity, and not in persistent creativity, while young and older adults performed relatively similar. We found that adolescents' functional integrity of the executive control network (ECN) was positively associated with expansion creativity, which was significantly different from the negative association in both the young and older adults. These results suggest that creative performance and supporting brain networks change throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordanna A Kruse
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Casey S Martin
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Noah Hamlin
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Emma Slattery
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Eibhlis M Moriarty
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Lucy K Horne
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | | | - Anaelle Camarda
- Institut Supérieur Maria Montessori, France; Université Paris Cité and Université Gustave Eiffel, LaPEA, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Stuart F White
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | | | | | - Gaelle E Doucet
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Age-Related Changes and Reorganization of Creativity and Intelligence Indices in Schoolchildren and University Students. J Intell 2022; 10:jintelligence10030052. [PMID: 35997407 PMCID: PMC9396976 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence10030052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the lasting interest towards the relationship between intelligence and creativity, comparably less attention is paid to its age-related changes. Our paper considers the organization of fluid intelligence and psychometric indicators of creativity and is based on the experimental data obtained for children aged 11 (n = 99) and for young adults (n = 77). We used two figural and verbal tasks with and without time limit. We found that the age-related differences in creativity are dependent on the context and the type of testing. The young adults were different from the children, having higher indicators of verbal and figurative creativity, except for the originality of the drawings created within the Incomplete Figures test, and having considerably higher test results for fluid intelligence. These age-related differences, together with the discovered closer relationship between the creativity indicators in the young adults group compared to the children, might suggest insufficient contribution of the components of the executive control of information selection (inhibition, shifting, and updating), which had not fully formed in eleven-year-olds. The comparison of the various indicators of creativity suggests that the most complex task for the children was the composition of an original sentence by joining nouns from various semantic categories.
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Wang C. Features of the Development of Creative Thinking When Creating Electronic Music in Adolescents: Specialized Applications. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Bux DB, van Schalkwyk I. Creative arts interventions to enhance adolescent well-being in low-income communities: an integrative literature review. J Child Adolesc Ment Health 2022; 34:1-29. [PMID: 38504655 DOI: 10.2989/17280583.2023.2277775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Background: Globally many young people, especially from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, face significant barriers to achieving optimal life chances. Creative arts interventions are a way of reaching out to adolescents in low-income communities, to encourage positive functioning and enhanced well-being. We need information on the efficacy - or otherwise - of such interventions to optimise future efforts.Method: An integrative, descriptive literature review was conducted to explore and describe creative arts interventions for adolescents in low-income communities. Data were synthesised by comparing evidence from 12 studies that met the inclusion criteria, and combining ideas using logical reasoning to present what is known or yet to be known about the study topic.Results: Themes emerged regarding the structure and content of interventions; the characteristics of adolescent participants; the countries and contexts in which interventions were carried out; and overall outcomes for adolescent well-being as well as pedagogy.Conclusion: There are worthy outcomes for adolescents living in low-income communities who participate in structured creative arts interventions. However, research evidence is limited, and more research should be undertaken to investigate the development and evaluation of creative arts interventions for the well-being of adolescents in adverse contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilshaad Begham Bux
- Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom South Africa
| | - Izanette van Schalkwyk
- Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom South Africa
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Zhuang K, Yang W, Li Y, Zhang J, Chen Q, Meng J, Wei D, Sun J, He L, Mao Y, Wang X, Vatansever D, Qiu J. Connectome-based evidence for creative thinking as an emergent property of ordinary cognitive operations. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117632. [PMID: 33316392 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Creative thinking is a hallmark of human cognition, which enables us to generate novel and useful ideas. Nevertheless, its emergence within the macro-scale neurocognitive circuitry remains largely unknown. Using resting-state fMRI data from two large population samples (SWU: n = 931; HCP: n = 1001) and a novel "travelling pattern prediction analysis", here we identified the modularized functional connectivity patterns linked to creative thinking ability, which concurrently explained individual variability across ordinary cognitive abilities such as episodic memory, working memory and relational processing. Further interrogation of this neural pattern with graph theoretical tools revealed both hub-like brain structures and globally-efficient information transfer paths that together may facilitate higher creative thinking ability through the convergence of distinct cognitive operations. Collectively, our results provide reliable evidence for the hypothesized emergence of creative thinking from core cognitive components through neural integration, and thus allude to a significant theoretical advancement in the study of creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixiang Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yu Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Qunlin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jie Meng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiangzhou Sun
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Li He
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yu Mao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Deniz Vatansever
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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9
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Chen P, Zhang J. Development of Chinese Junior High School Students' Creative Potential: Within-Person and Between-Person Effects of Student-Student Support and Need for Cognition. Front Psychol 2020; 11:552831. [PMID: 33132961 PMCID: PMC7578343 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.552831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the developmental trend of creative potential in Chinese junior high school students and the within-person and between-person effects of student–student support and need for cognition. Two hundred and fourteen Chinese junior high school students participated in the present study (mean age = 13.29 years, SD = 0.49 years, 116 boys). Student–student support, need for cognition, and creative potential were measured once per year for 3 years. Longitudinal multilevel models indicated that (1) Chinese junior high school students’ creative potential showed a downward trend from grades 7 to 9; (2) at the within-person level, time-varying student–student support positively predicted time-varying creative potential; (3) at the within-person level, time-varying need for cognition moderated the positive link between time-varying student–student support and time-varying creative potential; and (4) at the between-person level, no support was found for the links between student–student support, need for cognition, and creative potential. Specifically, average levels of student–student support neither significantly predicted initial levels and developmental rates of creative potential nor moderated the links between average levels of student–student and initial levels and developmental rates of creative potential. The findings highlight that at the within-person and between-person levels, student–student support and need for cognition have differential influences on Chinese junior school students’ creative potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Jinghuan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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10
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Katz-Buonincontro J, Anderson RC, Manalang V. Using mixed methods to understand the mechanisms and prevalence of creative engagement in drama-based instruction. METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.metip.2019.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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11
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Fostering students' creative thinking skills by means of a one-year creativity training program. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229773. [PMID: 32196509 PMCID: PMC7083266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Creative thinking is among the most sought-after life and work skills in the 21st century. The demand for creativity, however, exceeds the degree to which it is available and developed. The current project aimed to test the effectiveness of a one-year creativity training program for higher education. The creativity of students following the training was measured before, halfway, and after the training. In addition to the within-subjects comparison across time, performance was compared to a matched control group. At each of the measurement points, different versions of seven well-validated creativity tasks (capturing divergent and convergent creative thinking skills) were employed. The creativity training increased students' ideation skills and, more importantly their cognitive flexibility. However, no difference in originality was observed. Finally, an increase in performance was observed for one of the convergent creativity tasks, the Remote Associate Test. Implications for educational settings and directions for future research are discussed.
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Hopp MDS, Zhang ZS, Hinch L, O'Reilly C, Ziegler A. Creative, Thus Connected: The Power of Sociometric Creativity on Friendship Formation in Gifted Adolescents-A Longitudinal Network Analysis of Gifted Students. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2019; 2019:47-73. [PMID: 31702108 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The current study's purpose is to explore the influence of peer-perceived creativity (sociometric creativity) on the short-term development of friendships during a summer program for high ability students. Specifically, the two main objectives of our study are: (1) How did students' friendships network and sociometric creativity network evolve in the summer program? (2) How did sociometric creativity influence the friendship formation? The longitudinal study was conducted at the beginning, middle and the end of a 3-week long program for gifted students in Ireland. The sample consisted of Irish gifted students (N = 702, aged 13-18 years, 52% female, over thirty-one classes). Overall, our longitudinal multilevel and multigroup social network analysis shows that gifted adolescents formed reciprocated friendship ties and cohesive peer group structures in the investigated period; similar age and the same gender predicted friendship formation. Regarding the sociometric creativity, they tended to nominate a similar age and same gender student as very creative. Moreover, the sociometric creativity positively influenced adolescents' friendship networks on a dyadic level, indicating that adolescents select friends based on their perception of the other student's creativity. Further results, explanations, and implications are discussed.
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Saggar M, Xie H, Beaty RE, Stankov AD, Schreier M, Reiss AL. Creativity slumps and bumps: Examining the neurobehavioral basis of creativity development during middle childhood. Neuroimage 2019; 196:94-101. [PMID: 30959195 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.03.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental research has found that children's creative thinking ability tends to decline during middle childhood. However, this decline has not been consistently demonstrated, and the underlying neural and behavioral factors that affect fluctuations in children's creative thinking ability remain uncharacterized. Using a longitudinal cohort-sequential experimental design, we investigated the neurobehavioral basis of creative thinking ability during middle childhood in a sample of 48 children (n = 21 starting 3rd grade, n = 27 starting 4th grade) assessed longitudinally at three time-points across one year. For the first time, we used data-driven methods to reveal distinct trajectories in creative thinking ability during middle childhood. We found that although some children show a classic decline in creative ability, others exhibit a significant increase in creativity over time. These trajectories were not associated with differences in intelligence, age, or sex, but rather other developmentally-relevant constructs, including heightened externalizing behavior (i.e., rule-breaking and aggression). Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in a smaller cohort (n = 26), we examined longitudinal changes in bilateral frontal neural connectivity and found that increased right lateral frontal segregation or functional specialization tracked developmental improvements in creative thinking ability. Taken together, the findings reveal distinct profiles of change in creative thinking ability during middle childhood and identify behavioral and neural mechanisms potentially underlying changes in children's ability to think creatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Saggar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 4305, USA.
| | - Hua Xie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 4305, USA
| | - Roger E Beaty
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16803, USA
| | - Atanas D Stankov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 4305, USA
| | - Meredith Schreier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 4305, USA
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 4305, USA
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Massonnié J, Rogers CJ, Mareschal D, Kirkham NZ. Is Classroom Noise Always Bad for Children? The Contribution of Age and Selective Attention to Creative Performance in Noise. Front Psychol 2019; 10:381. [PMID: 30863348 PMCID: PMC6399383 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Creativity is considered an important skill in learning but little is known about the environmental factors affecting it in classroom settings. Extending adult findings, this study assessed whether moderate multi-talker noise promotes children's creativity, and whether this is modulated by children's age, working memory, and selective attention. Forty-four elementary school children between 5 and 11 years of age, divided into younger and older age groups, participated in this within-subjects' study. The children completed two idea generation tasks; each participant performed the task both in silence and in moderate (64 dB) classroom noise. Selective attention skills, verbal and visuospatial working memory were assessed with behavioral tasks. Results showed that there were no conditions in which classroom noise promoted children's creativity whilst some negative effects of noise were observed. Younger children (between 5 and 8 years of age) with low selective attention skills were especially at risk: they gave fewer ideas in the presence of noise, and these ideas were rated as less original. Children with good selective attention skills were globally protected against the effects of noise, performing, similarly, in silence and noise. Future studies about children's specific creative strategies might help shed light on the mechanisms underlying these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Massonnié
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cathy Jane Rogers
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Denis Mareschal
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Z Kirkham
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Camarda A, Salvia É, Vidal J, Weil B, Poirel N, Houdé O, Borst G, Cassotti M. Neural basis of functional fixedness during creative idea generation: An EEG study. Neuropsychologia 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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16
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McCarthy J. Do Creative Thinking and Creative Problem-Solving Have a Place in Counseling Curricula? JOURNAL OF CREATIVITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15401383.2018.1433092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John McCarthy
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, USA
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Meinel M, Wagner TF, Baccarella CV, Voigt K. Exploring the Effects of Creativity Training on Creative Performance and Creative Self‐Efficacy: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Sica LS, Ragozini G, Di Palma T, Aleni Sestito L. Creativity as Identity Skill? Late Adolescents' Management of Identity, Complexity and Risk‐Taking. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Xia Y, Zhuang K, Sun J, Chen Q, Wei D, Yang W, Qiu J. Emotion-related brain structures associated with trait creativity in middle children. Neurosci Lett 2017; 658:182-188. [PMID: 28780167 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Middle childhood is an important period for individual trait shaping, during which children are likely to generate and own their distinct neuromechanism of creative-related traits. This study used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to identify the brain structures that underlie trait creativity (as measured by the Williams Creativity Aptitude Test) in a sample of typical developing children (aged 9-12, n=64). The results indicated that several emotion-related regions may relate to trait creativity in middle children. Specifically, the regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the amygdala and hippocampus was negatively related to creative traits of challenge and risk-taking, which indicates that children with increased trait creativity may be more impulsive when they engage in creative activities. An increased rGMV in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) was related to an increased trait of imagination, which may be associated with stronger sensation-seeking in children. These findings are the first to demonstrate the brain structures that underlie trait creativity in middle children, and indicated that, driven by a relatively stronger effect of sensation-seeking (via recruitment of the OFC), children with increased trait creativity may exhibit more risk-taking and challenging behaviors (via recruitment of the amygdala and hippocampus) when they practice their creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunman Xia
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Kaixiang Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Jiangzhou Sun
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qunlin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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