1
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Dobel C, Junghöfer M. Tinnitus-on the interplay between emotion and cognition. HNO 2024; 72:46-50. [PMID: 37725160 DOI: 10.1007/s00106-023-01339-1] [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] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Subjective tinnitus (hereafter tinnitus) is often considered and studied as a perceptual phenomenon. Accordingly, various abnormalities in the area of cognitive processing have been reported in patients with tinnitus. At the same time, the disorder is characterized by considerable emotional distress, which is associated with a high comorbidity of affective disorders. Here, we aim to outline the close link between cognition and emotion, and how current research from the field of cognitive neuroscience examines the processing and acquisition of emotional stimuli. The emotional valence of stimuli can be acquired after brief exposure to learning, leading from neutral to appetitive or aversive evaluation. In contrast to neutral stimuli, emotional stimuli attract attention very early (about 100 ms) during processing, leading to deeper processing and corresponding memory effects. The involved subcortical and cortical network encompasses limbic and sensory areas. In particular, prefrontal regions are involved in the acquisition and evaluation of emotional stimuli as also shown in studies of patients with affect disorders. The interplay of cognitive and emotional processes seems to be central to the development, maintenance, and treatment of tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Dobel
- ENT Clinic, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.
| | - Markus Junghöfer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
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2
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Dobel C, Junghöfer M. [Tinnitus-on the interplay between emotion and cognition. German version]. HNO 2023; 71:648-655. [PMID: 37581622 DOI: 10.1007/s00106-023-01338-2] [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] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Subjective tinnitus (hereafter tinnitus) is often considered and studied as a perceptual phenomenon. Accordingly, various abnormalities in the area of cognitive processing have been reported in patients with tinnitus. At the same time, the disorder is characterized by considerable emotional distress, which is associated with a high comorbidity of affective disorders. Here, we aim to outline the close link between cognition and emotion, and how current research from the field of cognitive neuroscience examines the processing and acquisition of emotional stimuli. The emotional valence of stimuli can be acquired after brief exposure to learning, leading from neutral to appetitive or aversive evaluation. In contrast to neutral stimuli, emotional stimuli attract attention very early (about 100 ms) during processing, leading to deeper processing and corresponding memory effects. The involved subcortical and cortical network encompasses limbic and sensory areas. In particular, prefrontal regions are involved in the acquisition and evaluation of emotional stimuli as also shown in studies of patients with affect disorders. The interplay of cognitive and emotional processes seems to be central to the development, maintenance, and treatment of tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Dobel
- HNO-Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Stoystr. 3, 07740, Jena, Deutschland.
| | - Markus Junghöfer
- Institut für Biomagnetismus und Biosignalanalyse, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Deutschland
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3
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Byrne A, Bonfiglio E, Rigby C, Edelstyn N. A systematic review of the prediction of consumer preference using EEG measures and machine-learning in neuromarketing research. Brain Inform 2022; 9:27. [PMCID: PMC9663791 DOI: 10.1186/s40708-022-00175-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
The present paper discusses the findings of a systematic review of EEG measures in neuromarketing, identifying which EEG measures are the most robust predictor of customer preference in neuromarketing. The review investigated which TF effect (e.g., theta-band power), and ERP component (e.g., N400) was most consistently reflective of self-reported preference. Machine-learning prediction also investigated, along with the use of EEG when combined with physiological measures such as eye-tracking.
Methods
Search terms ‘neuromarketing’ and ‘consumer neuroscience’ identified papers that used EEG measures. Publications were excluded if they were primarily written in a language other than English or were not published as journal articles (e.g., book chapters). 174 papers were included in the present review.
Results
Frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) was the most reliable TF signal of preference and was able to differentiate positive from negative consumer responses. Similarly, the late positive potential (LPP) was the most reliable ERP component, reflecting conscious emotional evaluation of products and advertising. However, there was limited consistency across papers, with each measure showing mixed results when related to preference and purchase behaviour.
Conclusions and implications
FAA and the LPP were the most consistent markers of emotional responses to marketing stimuli, consumer preference and purchase intention. Predictive accuracy of FAA and the LPP was greatly improved through the use of machine-learning prediction, especially when combined with eye-tracking or facial expression analyses.
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4
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Wang G, Li J, Zhu C, Wang S, Jiang S. How Do Reference Points Influence the Representation of the N200 for Consumer Preference? Front Psychol 2021; 12:645775. [PMID: 34248744 PMCID: PMC8266263 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645775] [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: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that event-related brain potential (ERP) can represent consumer preference, and there is consensus that the N200 is the best indicator of consumer preference. Measurement of reference-dependent consumer preference, in turn, requires a reference point, but it remains largely unknown how reference points modulate the preference-related N200. We designed an experiment to investigate how reference points affect the N200 based on classical paradigms. In the single-reference condition, one product was displayed in each trial; in the conjoined-reference condition, a pair of products was displayed simultaneously. Our results showed that in the single-reference condition, low-preference products elicited more negative N200 than high-preference products, replicating previous results, but the N200 could not distinguish between low‐ and high-preference products when viewing two options of similar subjective value in the conjoined-reference condition. These findings suggest that reference points modulate the representation of the N200 on consumer preference. When only viewing one product, participants make a value judgment based on their expectations. However, when viewing two products simultaneously, both their expectation and the alternative product can serve as reference points, and whether the N200 can represent consumer preference depends on which reference point is dominant. In future research, reference points must be controlled when the N200 is used to explore value-related decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangrong Wang
- Neural Decision Science Laboratory, School of Economics and Management, Weifang University, Weifang, China.,Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, School of Economics, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianbiao Li
- Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, School of Economics, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Economics and Management, Nankai University Binhai College, Tianjin, China
| | - Chengkang Zhu
- Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, School of Economics, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shenru Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Shenzhou Jiang
- School of Business Administration, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanning, China
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5
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Özbeyaz A. EEG-Based classification of branded and unbranded stimuli associating with smartphone products: comparison of several machine learning algorithms. Neural Comput Appl 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00521-021-05779-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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6
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Simmank F, Avram M, Fehse K, Sander T, Zaytseva Y, Paolini M, Bao Y, Silveira S. Morality in advertising: An fMRI study on persuasion in communication. Psych J 2020; 9:629-643. [PMID: 32515144 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Advertising slogans serve the function of persuasive communication by presenting catchy phrases. To decide whether a slogan is convincing or not, cognitive reasoning is assumed to be complemented by a more implicit and intuitive route of information processing, presumably similar to evaluating normative judgments in moral statements. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while Western male subjects judged advertising slogans and moral statements as another decision task with subjective nature. Compared to a neutral control condition that targeted declarative memory and to an aesthetic-related condition, the evaluation processes in both domains engaged the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which is associated with decision-making incorporating personal value. Conjoint activations were also observed in the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ) when compared to the aesthetics condition. Results are discussed with reference to domain-independence, a suspected difference to aesthetic-like appreciations, and functional organization in the mPFC and the TPJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Simmank
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Mihai Avram
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.,TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kai Fehse
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Yuliya Zaytseva
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.,Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marco Paolini
- Department of Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Yan Bao
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Sarita Silveira
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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7
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Winker C, Rehbein MA, Sabatinelli D, Junghofer M. Repeated noninvasive stimulation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex reveals cumulative amplification of pleasant compared to unpleasant scene processing: A single subject pilot study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0222057. [PMID: 31961881 PMCID: PMC6974138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is a major hub of the reward system and has been shown to activate specifically in response to pleasant / rewarding stimuli. Previous studies demonstrate enhanced pleasant cue reactivity after single applications of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the vmPFC. Here we present a pilot case study in which we assess the cumulative impact of multiple consecutive vmPFC-tDCS sessions on the processing of visual emotional stimuli in an event-related MEG recording design. The results point to stable modulation of increased positivity biases (pleasant > unpleasant stimulus signal strength) after excitatory vmPFC stimulation and a reversed pattern (pleasant < unpleasant) after inhibitory stimulation across five consecutive tDCS sessions. Moreover, cumulative effects of these emotional bias modulations were observable for several source-localized spatio-temporal clusters, suggesting an increase in modulatory efficiency by repeated tDCS sessions. This pilot study provides evidence for improvements in the effectiveness and utility of a novel tDCS paradigm in the context of emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Winker
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Maimu A. Rehbein
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Dean Sabatinelli
- Department of Psychology and BioImaging Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Markus Junghofer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- * E-mail:
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8
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Langeslag SJ, van Strien JW. Romantic love and attention: Early and late event-related potentials. Biol Psychol 2019; 146:107737. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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9
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Goto N, Lim XL, Shee D, Hatano A, Khong KW, Buratto LG, Watabe M, Schaefer A. Can Brain Waves Really Tell If a Product Will Be Purchased? Inferring Consumer Preferences From Single-Item Brain Potentials. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 13:19. [PMID: 31316357 PMCID: PMC6611214 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has shown that event-related brain potentials (ERPs) recorded while participants view lists of different consumer goods can be modulated by their preferences toward these products. However, it remains largely unknown whether ERP activity specific to a single consumer item can be informative about whether or not this item will be preferred in a shopping context. In this study, we examined whether single-item ERPs could reliably predict consumer preferences toward specific consumer goods. We recorded scalp EEG from 40 participants while they were viewing pictures of consumer goods and we subsequently asked them to indicate their preferences for each of these items. Replicating previous results, we found that ERP activity averaged over the six most preferred products was significantly differentiated from ERP activity averaged across the six least preferred products for three ERP components: The N200, the late positive potential (LPP) and positive slow waves (PSW). We also found that using single-item ERPs to infer behavioral preferences about specific consumer goods led to an overall predictive accuracy of 71%, although this figure varied according to which ERPs were targeted. Later positivities such as the LPP and PSW yielded relatively higher predictive accuracy rates than the frontal N200. Our results suggest that ERPs related to single consumer items can be relatively accurate predictors of behavioral preferences depending on which type of ERP effects are chosen by the researcher, and ultimately on the level of prediction errors that users choose to tolerate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhiko Goto
- Department of Psychology, Kyoto Notre Dame University, Kyoto, Japan
- School of Business, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Xue Li Lim
- School of Business, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Center, Jülich, Germany
| | - Dexter Shee
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Aya Hatano
- Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kok Wei Khong
- School of Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Taylor’s University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | | | - Motoki Watabe
- School of Business, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Alexandre Schaefer
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
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10
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Sill J, Popov T, Schauer M, Elbert T. Rapid brain responses to affective pictures indicate dimensions of trauma-related psychopathology in adolescents. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13353. [PMID: 30807662 PMCID: PMC6991163 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A variety of mental disorders are related to deviant brain activity, but these neural alterations do not validate psychiatric diagnostic categories. High symptom overlap and variable symptom patterns encourage a dimensional approach. Following the logic of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), we investigated trauma survivors for symptom clusters that might be associated with characteristics of ERPs, in particular with the early posterior negativity (EPN) elicited during affective picture processing. In rapid serial visual presentation, 90 adolescents (40 male/50 female, age M = 15.0 ± 2.5 years) who had been exposed to varying amounts of traumatic stress passively viewed a stream of high‐arousing positive and low‐arousing neutral pictures taken from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Using standardized interviews, symptoms of trauma‐related mental disorders were assessed (including those for PTSD, depression, borderline personality disorder, and behavioral problems). A principal component analysis was performed to derive potential dimensions of psychopathology. Multiple regression analysis confirmed a factor comprising problems concentrating, sleeping difficulties, and mistrust as a predictor of a larger EPN difference between high‐arousing positive and low‐arousing neutral IAPS pictures (β = 0.19, p < 0.05). Sex predicted the magnitude of the EPN (β = 0.45, p < 0.001). Male adolescents displayed a stronger EPN suppression than female adolescents. The result suggests that problems concentrating, sleeping difficulties, and mistrust seem to be trans‐diagnostic elements related to diminished early emotional discrimination represented by the EPN. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the EPN in response to emotional processing is modulated by sex. Based on the RDoC heuristic, symptom clusters that may be associated with the early posterior negativity (EPN) elicited during affective picture processing were investigated in youth trauma survivors. Analysis confirmed a factor comprising problems concentrating, sleeping difficulties, and mistrust as a predictor of a larger EPN difference between high arousing positive and low arousing neutral IAPS pictures using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). The EPN component was also modulated by sex. The findings also extend those of prior research on emotional processing confirming that EPN suppression can also be found in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Sill
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tzvetan Popov
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Maggie Schauer
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Thomas Elbert
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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11
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Ma Y, Jin J, Yu W, Zhang W, Xu Z, Ma Q. How Is the Neural Response to the Design of Experience Goods Related to Personalized Preference? An Implicit View. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:760. [PMID: 30416423 PMCID: PMC6214219 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the process by which consumers evaluate the designs of experience goods is critical for firms designing and delivering experience products. As the implicit process involved in this evaluation, and given the possible social desirability bias inherent to traditional methods of product design evaluation in certain conditions, neuroscientific methods are preferred to gain insight into the neural basis of consumers' evaluation of experience good designs. We here used event-related potentials (ERPs) and a revised go/no-go paradigm to investigate consumers' neural responses to experience good designs. Personalized product designs and neutral landscape pictures were randomly presented to 20 student participants; they were asked to view these product designs without making any decisions. The paired t-test and repeated-measures analysis of correlation showed that the P200 and late positive potential (LPP) elicited by the most-preferred experience good designs were significantly higher than that elicited by least-preferred designs, and the two ERP components were positively correlated with the personalized rating scores. Thus, P200 and LPP might be the early and late indices of consumers' evaluation of experience good designs, respectively, and may facilitate an understanding of the temporal course of this evaluation. Furthermore, these two ERP components can be used to identify consumers' preferences toward experience good designs. In addition, given the use of personalized experimental stimuli, these findings may help to explain why customized products are preferred by consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbin Ma
- Business School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Academy of Neuroeconomics and Neuromanagement, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Modem Management Research Centre, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jia Jin
- Business School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Academy of Neuroeconomics and Neuromanagement, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Wenjun Yu
- Business School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Academy of Neuroeconomics and Neuromanagement, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Wuke Zhang
- Business School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Academy of Neuroeconomics and Neuromanagement, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Zhijiang Xu
- College of Information Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qingguo Ma
- Business School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Academy of Neuroeconomics and Neuromanagement, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.,Institute of Neuromanagement Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
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12
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Neural signals of selective attention are modulated by subjective preferences and buying decisions in a virtual shopping task. Biol Psychol 2017; 128:11-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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Oleynick VC, Thrash TM, LeFew MC, Moldovan EG, Kieffaber PD. The scientific study of inspiration in the creative process: challenges and opportunities. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:436. [PMID: 25009483 PMCID: PMC4070479 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspiration is a motivational state that compels individuals to bring ideas into fruition. Creators have long argued that inspiration is important to the creative process, but until recently, scientists have not investigated this claim. In this article, we review challenges to the study of creative inspiration, as well as solutions to these challenges afforded by theoretical and empirical work on inspiration over the past decade. First, we discuss the problem of definitional ambiguity, which has been addressed through an integrative process of construct conceptualization. Second, we discuss the challenge of how to operationalize inspiration. This challenge has been overcome by the development and validation of the Inspiration Scale (IS), which may be used to assess trait or state inspiration. Third, we address ambiguity regarding how inspiration differs from related concepts (creativity, insight, positive affect) by discussing discriminant validity. Next, we discuss the preconception that inspiration is less important than "perspiration" (effort), and we review empirical evidence that inspiration and effort both play important-but different-roles in the creative process. Finally, with many challenges overcome, we argue that the foundation is now set for a new generation of research focused on neural underpinnings. We discuss potential challenges to and opportunities for the neuroscientific study of inspiration. A better understanding of the biological basis of inspiration will illuminate the process through which creative ideas "fire the soul," such that individuals are compelled to transform ideas into products and solutions that may benefit society.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Todd M Thrash
- Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA, USA
| | - Michael C LeFew
- Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA, USA
| | - Emil G Moldovan
- Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA, USA
| | - Paul D Kieffaber
- Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA, USA
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