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Abstract
Using the frameworks of creativity as problem solving and Integrated Constraints in Creativity (IConIC), this article develops the proposal that creativity is best understood in terms of a cycle of constraint exploration and exploitation. This general thesis, which applies to varied domains and levels of creativity, is supported by three specific proposals about the role of constraints in creativity, each of which is developed and illustrated with examples. First, constraints provide the criteria for the evaluation of creative outcomes, which can vary as a function of the emphasis on novel usefulness or useful novelty. Second, constraints are critical in each step of the creative process: problem finding, problem construction, and problem solving. Third, constraints play a key role in both open-ended and closed-ended creative problems. These arguments are supported by specific predictions, concerning: (a) task differences in whether novelty or usefulness are emphasized more; (b) individual differences in the processing of constraints (some may favor flexible constraint exploration, while others may favor persistent constraint exploitation), which I hypothesize also correlate with (c) engagement in different types of creative problem-solving (more open-ended, of the sort encountered in art, vs. more closed-ended, of the sort encountered in science, business, and engineering).
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2
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Teo LZ, Leong V. Age-appropriate adaptation of creativity tasks for infants aged 12-24 months. MethodsX 2024; 12:102655. [PMID: 38559388 PMCID: PMC10978524 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.102655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Creativity is an important skill that relates to innovation, problem-solving and artistic achievement. However, relatively little is known about the early development of creative potential in very young children, in part due to a paucity of tasks suitable for use during infancy. Current measures of creativity in early childhood include the Unusual Box Test, Torrance's Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement (TCAM) task and the Toca Kitchen Monsters task. These tasks are designed for children aged above 12, 36 and 18 months respectively, but very few measures of creativity can be used for infants aged below 2. Accordingly, here we report age-appropriate adaptations of TCAM and Toca Kitchen Monsters tasks for infants as young as 12 to 24 months. Considerations taken into account include (1) infants' cognitive capacities (i.e., attention span, language comprehension skills, motor skills, and approach to play), and (2) practicality of the stimuli, including suitability for use amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The modified creativity battery for infants includes three tasks: Music Play, Object Play and Exploratory Play tasks. The task protocols elaborated in this paper are intended to facilitate studies on the early development of creativity in infants aged between 12 and 24 months. Primary highlights include:•Age-appropriate adaptation of creativity tasks for use with infants aged between 12 and 24 months.•Consideration of infants' cognitive capacities and stimulus practicality.•Innovative use of movement as expression of infants' creative behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zheng Teo
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Victoria Leong
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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3
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Zemla JC, Gooding DC, Austerweil JL. Evidence for optimal semantic search throughout adulthood. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22528. [PMID: 38110643 PMCID: PMC10728182 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49858-9] [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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
As people age, they learn and store new knowledge in their semantic memory. Despite learning a tremendous amount of information, people can still recall information relevant to the current situation with ease. To accomplish this, the mind must efficiently organize and search a vast store of information. It also must continue to retrieve information effectively despite changes in cognitive mechanisms due to healthy aging, including a general slowing in information processing and a decline in executive functioning. How effectively does the mind of an individual adjust its search to account for changes due to aging? We tested 746 people ages 25 through 69 on a semantic fluency task (free listing animals) and found that, on average, retrieval follows an optimal path through semantic memory. Participants tended to list a sequence of semantically related animals (e.g., lion, tiger, puma) before switching to a semantically unrelated animal (e.g., whale). We found that the timing of these transitions to semantically unrelated animals was remarkably consistent with an optimal strategy for maximizing the overall rate of retrieval (i.e., the number of animals listed per unit time). Age did not affect an individual's deviation from the optimal strategy given their general performance, suggesting that people adapt and continue to search memory optimally throughout their lives. We argue that this result is more likely due to compensating for a general slowing than a decline in executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Zemla
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
| | - Diane C Gooding
- Department of Psychology, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, SMPH, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, SMPH, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Joseph L Austerweil
- Department of Psychology, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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4
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Lebuda I, Benedek M. A systematic framework of creative metacognition. Phys Life Rev 2023; 46:161-181. [PMID: 37478624 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Creative cognition does not just involve cognitive processes in direct service of the main task objective (e.g., idea generation), but also metacognitive processes that monitor and regulate cognition adaptively (e.g., evaluation of ideas and task performance, or development and selection of task strategies). Although metacognition is vital for creative performance, relevant work is sparse, which may be partly due to persistent ambiguities in the theoretical conceptualization of creative metacognition. Therefore, this article proposes a systematic framework of creative metacognition (CMC), which builds on recent advancements in metacognition theory and extends them to meet the specifics of creative cognition. The CMC framework consists of two dynamic components-monitoring and control-and a more static component of metacognitive knowledge, each subsuming metacognitive processes applying to the level of task, performance, and responses. We describe the presumed function of these metacognitive components in the creative process, present evidence in support of each, and discuss their association with related constructs, such as creative self-beliefs. We further highlight the dynamic interplay of metacognitive processes across task performance and identify promising avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Lebuda
- University of Graz, Austria; University of Wrocław, Poland.
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5
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Tong K, Chan YN, Cheng X, Cheon B, Ellefson M, Fauziana R, Feng S, Fischer N, Gulyás B, Hoo N, Hung D, Kalaivanan K, Langley C, Lee KM, Lee LL, Lee T, Melani I, Melia N, Pei JY, Raghani L, Sam YL, Seow P, Suckling J, Tan YF, Teo CL, Uchiyama R, Yap HS, Christopoulos G, Hendriks H, Chen A, Robbins T, Sahakian B, Kourtzi Z, Leong V. Study protocol: How does cognitive flexibility relate to other executive functions and learning in healthy young adults? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286208. [PMID: 37471399 PMCID: PMC10358919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive flexibility (CF) enables individuals to readily shift from one concept or mode of practice/thoughts to another in response to changes in the environment and feedback, making CF vital to optimise success in obtaining goals. However, how CF relates to other executive functions (e.g., working memory, response inhibition), mental abilities (e.g., creativity, literacy, numeracy, intelligence, structure learning), and social factors (e.g., multilingualism, tolerance of uncertainty, perceived social support, social decision-making) is less well understood. The current study aims to (1) establish the construct validity of CF in relation to other executive function skills and intelligence, and (2) elucidate specific relationships between CF, structure learning, creativity, career decision making and planning, and other life skills. METHODS This study will recruit up to 400 healthy Singaporean young adults (age 18-30) to complete a wide range of cognitive tasks and social questionnaires/tasks. The richness of the task/questionnaire battery and within-participant administration enables us to use computational modelling and structural equation modelling to examine connections between the latent constructs of interest. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT The current study is the first systematic investigation into the construct validity of CF and its interrelationship with other important cognitive skills such as learning and creativity, within an Asian context. The study will further explore the concept of CF as a non-unitary construct, a novel theoretical proposition in the field. The inclusion of a structure learning paradigm is intended to inform future development of a novel intervention paradigm to enhance CF. Finally, the results of the study will be useful for informing classroom pedagogy and the design of lifelong learning policies and curricula, as part of the wider remit of the Cambridge-NTU Centre for Lifelong Learning and Individualised Cognition (CLIC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Tong
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yuan Ni Chan
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiaoqin Cheng
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bobby Cheon
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | - Balázs Gulyás
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Natalie Hoo
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David Hung
- National Institute of Education, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Kean Mun Lee
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Li Ling Lee
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Timothy Lee
- National Institute of Education, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Irene Melani
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Jia Ying Pei
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lisha Raghani
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yoke Loo Sam
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter Seow
- National Institute of Education, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yan Fen Tan
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chew Lee Teo
- National Institute of Education, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Hui Shan Yap
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Annabel Chen
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Zoe Kourtzi
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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6
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Beaty RE, Kenett YN. Associative thinking at the core of creativity. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:671-683. [PMID: 37246025 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Creativity has long been thought to involve associative processes in memory: connecting concepts to form ideas, inventions, and artworks. However, associative thinking has been difficult to study due to limitations in modeling memory structure and retrieval processes. Recent advances in computational models of semantic memory allow researchers to examine how people navigate a semantic space of concepts when forming associations, revealing key search strategies associated with creativity. Here, we synthesize cognitive, computational, and neuroscience research on creativity and associative thinking. This Review highlights distinctions between free- and goal-directed association, illustrates the role of associative thinking in the arts, and links associative thinking to brain systems supporting both semantic and episodic memory - offering a new perspective on a longstanding creativity theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger E Beaty
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Yoed N Kenett
- Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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7
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Olsen K, Tylén K. On the social nature of abstraction: cognitive implications of interaction and diversity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210361. [PMID: 36571125 PMCID: PMC9791485 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0361] [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: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The human capacity for abstraction is remarkable. We effortlessly form abstract representations from varied experiences, generalizing and flexibly transferring experiences and knowledge between contexts, which can facilitate reasoning, problem solving and learning across many domains. The cognitive process of abstraction, however, is often portrayed and investigated as an individual process. This paper addresses how cognitive processes of abstraction-together with other aspects of human reasoning and problem solving-are fundamentally shaped and modulated by online social interaction. Starting from a general distinction between convergent thinking, divergent thinking and processes of abstraction, we address how social interaction shapes information processing differently depending on cognitive demands, social coordination and task ecologies. In particular, we suggest that processes of abstraction are facilitated by the interactive sharing and integration of varied individual experiences. To this end, we also discuss how the dynamics of group interactions vary as a function of group composition; that is, in terms of the similarity and diversity between the group members. We conclude by outlining the role of cognitive diversity in interactive processes and consider the importance of group diversity in processes of abstraction. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Olsen
- The Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department for Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Semiotics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kristian Tylén
- The Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department for Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Semiotics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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8
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The development of creative search strategies. Cognition 2022; 225:105102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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9
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Ovando-Tellez M, Benedek M, Kenett YN, Hills T, Bouanane S, Bernard M, Belo J, Bieth T, Volle E. An investigation of the cognitive and neural correlates of semantic memory search related to creative ability. Commun Biol 2022; 5:604. [PMID: 35710948 PMCID: PMC9203494 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03547-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Creative ideas likely result from searching and combining semantic memory knowledge, yet the mechanisms acting on memory to yield creative ideas remain unclear. Here, we identified the neurocognitive correlates of semantic search components related to creative abilities. We designed an associative fluency task based on polysemous words and distinguished two search components related to clustering and switching between the different meanings of the polysemous words. Clustering correlated with divergent thinking, while switching correlated with the ability to combine remote associates. Furthermore, switching correlated with semantic memory structure and executive abilities, and was predicted by connectivity between the default, control, and salience neural networks. In contrast, clustering relied on interactions between control, salience, and attentional neural networks. Our results suggest that switching captures interactions between memory structure and control processes guiding the search whereas clustering may capture attentional controlled processes for persistent search, and that alternations between exploratory search and focused attention support creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Ovando-Tellez
- Sorbonne University, FrontLab at Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, 75013, Paris, France.
| | | | - Yoed N Kenett
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Thomas Hills
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, University Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Sarah Bouanane
- Sorbonne University, FrontLab at Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Matthieu Bernard
- Sorbonne University, FrontLab at Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Joan Belo
- Sorbonne University, FrontLab at Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Theophile Bieth
- Sorbonne University, FrontLab at Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, 75013, Paris, France.,Neurology Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, AP-HP, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Volle
- Sorbonne University, FrontLab at Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, 75013, Paris, France.
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10
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Abstract
Abstract. Individual differences perspectives have dominated the scientific study of creativity since the 1950’s. These perspectives, however, mainly emphasize group-level variations or inter-individual differences, with limited interest in individual-level variations. Yet, (1) group-level findings are often used to make inferences at the person-level, which might not apply consistently across individuals, and (2) a focus on intra-individual variations could supplement knowledge based on inter-individual differences and accurately inform creativity as a dynamic and multifaceted psychological construct. Indeed, when observed at the individual level, creativity can vary from moment to moment, task to task, and even item to item, which is not well reflected in the current understanding of creativity. After introducing the historical context for the study of individual differences in creativity, this article presents and illustrates three fundamental and distinct aspects of intra-individual variability as they apply to creativity, namely (in)consistency (or processing fluctuation), dispersion, and intraindividual change. While doing so, recent developments in apparatus and methods to assess creativity as a more dynamic phenomenon are presented. The article concludes by discussing the promise of accounting for intra-individual variability in creative performance and potential and the new knowledge it may elicit for both creativity research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Barbot
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Belgium
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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11
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Kenett YN, Hills TT. Editors' Introduction to Networks of the Mind: How Can Network Science Elucidate Our Understanding of Cognition? Top Cogn Sci 2022; 14:45-53. [PMID: 35104923 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Thinking is complex. Over the years, several types of methods and paradigms have developed across the psychological, cognitive, and neural sciences to study such complexity. A rapidly growing multidisciplinary quantitative field of network science offers quantitative methods to represent complex systems as networks, or graphs, and study the network properties of these systems. While the application of network science to study the brain has greatly advanced our understanding of the brains structure and function, the application of these tools to study cognition has been done to a much lesser account. This topic is a collection of papers that discuss the fruitfulness of applying network science to study cognition across a wide scope of research areas from generalist accounts of memory and encoding, to individual differences, to communities, and finally to cultural and individual change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoed N Kenett
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
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12
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Rafner J, Biskjær MM, Zana B, Langsford S, Bergenholtz C, Rahimi S, Carugati A, Noy L, Sherson J. Digital Games for Creativity Assessment: Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities. CREATIVITY RESEARCH JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2021.1971447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lior Noy
- Business Administration, Ono Academic College
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13
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Abstract
Can knowledge accumulated in systems biology on mechanisms governing cell behavior help us to elucidate cognitive processes, such as human creative search? To address this, we focus on the property of scale invariance, which allows sensory systems to adapt to environmental signals spanning orders of magnitude. For example, bacteria search for nutrients, by responding to relative changes in nutrient concentration rather than absolute levels, via a sensory mechanism termed fold-change detection (FCD). Scale invariance is prevalent in cognition, yet the specific mechanisms are mostly unknown. Here, we screen many possible dynamic equation topologies, to find that an FCD model best describes creative search dynamics. The model further predicts robustness to variations in meaning perception, in agreement with behavioral data. We thus suggest FCD as a specific mechanism for scale invariant search, connecting sensory processes of cells and cognitive processes in human.
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14
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Barbot B. The Dynamics of Creative Ideation: Introducing a New Assessment Paradigm. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2529. [PMID: 30618952 PMCID: PMC6297799 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite six decades of creative cognition research, measures of creative ideation have heavily relied on divergent thinking tasks, which still suffer from conceptual, design, and psychometric shortcomings. These shortcomings have greatly impeded the accurate study of creative ideation, its dynamics, development, and integration as part of a comprehensive psychological assessment. After a brief overview of the historical and current anchoring of creative ideation measurement, overlooked challenges in its most common operationalization (i.e., divergent thinking tasks framework) are discussed. They include (1) the reliance on a single stimulus as a starting point of the creative ideation process (stimulus-dependency), (2) the analysis of response quality based on a varying number of observations across test-takers (fluency-dependency), and (3) the production of "static" cumulative performance indicators. Inspired from an emerging line of work from the field of cognitive neuroscience of creativity, this paper introduces a new assessment framework referred to as "Multi-Trial Creative Ideation" (MTCI). This framework shifts the current measurement paradigm by (1) offering a variety of stimuli presented in a well-defined set of ideation "trials," (2) reinterprets the concept of ideational fluency using a time-analysis of idea generation, and (3) captures individual dynamics in the ideation process (e.g., modeling the effort-time required to reach a response of maximal uncommonness) while controlling for stimulus-specific sources of variation. Advantages of the MTCI framework over the classic divergent thinking paradigm are discussed in light of current directions in the field of creativity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Barbot
- Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York City, NY, United States.,Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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15
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Rozenkrantz L, Mayo AE, Ilan T, Hart Y, Noy L, Alon U. Placebo can enhance creativity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182466. [PMID: 28892513 PMCID: PMC5593173 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The placebo effect is usually studied in clinical settings for decreasing negative symptoms such as pain, depression and anxiety. There is interest in exploring the placebo effect also outside the clinic, for enhancing positive aspects of performance or cognition. Several studies indicate that placebo can enhance cognitive abilities including memory, implicit learning and general knowledge. Here, we ask whether placebo can enhance creativity, an important aspect of human cognition. METHODS Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group who smelled and rated an odorant (n = 45), and a placebo group who were treated identically but were also told that the odorant increases creativity and reduces inhibitions (n = 45). Subjects completed a recently developed automated test for creativity, the creative foraging game (CFG), and a randomly chosen subset (n = 57) also completed two manual standardized creativity tests, the alternate uses test (AUT) and the Torrance test (TTCT). In all three tests, participants were asked to create as many original solutions and were scored for originality, flexibility and fluency. RESULTS The placebo group showed higher originality than the control group both in the CFG (p<0.04, effect size = 0.5) and in the AUT (p<0.05, effect size = 0.4), but not in the Torrance test. The placebo group also found more shapes outside of the standard categories found by a set of 100 CFG players in a previous study, a feature termed out-of-the-boxness (p<0.01, effect size = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that placebo can enhance the originality aspect of creativity. This strengthens the view that placebo can be used not only to reduce negative clinical symptoms, but also to enhance positive aspects of cognition. Furthermore, we find that the impact of placebo on creativity can be tested by CFG, which can quantify multiple aspects of creative search without need for manual coding. This approach opens the way to explore the behavioral and neural mechanisms by which placebo might amplify creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liron Rozenkrantz
- Theater lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Dept. Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Dept. Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Avraham E. Mayo
- Theater lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Dept. Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tomer Ilan
- Theater lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yuval Hart
- Theater lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Dept. Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Noy
- Theater lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Dept. Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- * E-mail: (LN); (UA)
| | - Uri Alon
- Theater lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Dept. Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- * E-mail: (LN); (UA)
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