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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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van Lieshout M, Scholtes-Bos W, van der Horst-Graat JM, van Holsteijn P, de Vries SI. Development of the Food Boost Challenge: A Participatory Action Research Approach to Enhance Vegetable and Fruit Consumption among Adolescents. Nutrients 2023; 15:4921. [PMID: 38068779 PMCID: PMC10708103 DOI: 10.3390/nu15234921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Prevention of non-communicable diseases through, among other factors, increasing vegetables and fruit (V&F) intake is a cost-effective strategy for risk reduction but requires behavioral change. Such changes in adolescents benefit from their active involvement. The Food Boost Challenge (FBC) was developed using a participatory action research approach to enhance healthy eating behaviors, namely V&F products among adolescents. The FBC is an innovation process, involving adolescents, (peer) researchers, and food system partners, like non-governmental and commercial organizations. In 2021-2022, 34 partners provided both cash and in-kind contributions to join the FBC community. Phase 1 involved 200 students identifying barriers and drivers for consumption of F&V products among 1000 pre-vocational adolescents, aged 12-20 years. In phase 2, student teams submitted innovative ideas, resulting in 25 concepts fitting into ≥1 of 4 routes: (I) innovative technology for a healthy diet, (II) new food products/concepts for adolescents, (III) hotspots improving the F&V product experience, and (IV) new routes to market. In phase 3, consortia of adolescents, students, and partners were formed to develop 10 selected concepts into prototypes, and phase 4 offered teams a national platform. Results show that the FBC resonates with all stakeholders, generating valuable insights to increase F&V intake. Prototypes in all four routes have been developed. Additionally, other regions in the Netherlands have adopted the FBC approach. Overall, the FBC is an approach that transforms ideas into actionable measures and shows potential to be adapted to promote various healthy eating behaviors among school students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Machteld van Lieshout
- Research Group Healthy Lifestyle in a Supporting Environment, Centre of Expertise Health Innovation, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, 2521 EN The Hague, The Netherlands; (W.S.-B.); (S.I.d.V.)
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Health, Nutrition & Sports, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, 2521 EN The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Wendy Scholtes-Bos
- Research Group Healthy Lifestyle in a Supporting Environment, Centre of Expertise Health Innovation, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, 2521 EN The Hague, The Netherlands; (W.S.-B.); (S.I.d.V.)
- Medical Delta Living Lab VIT for Life, Medical Delta, 2629 JH Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Sanne I. de Vries
- Research Group Healthy Lifestyle in a Supporting Environment, Centre of Expertise Health Innovation, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, 2521 EN The Hague, The Netherlands; (W.S.-B.); (S.I.d.V.)
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Health Campus The Hague, Leiden University Medical Center, 2511 DP The Hague, The Netherlands
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Briguglio M, Baldacchino L, Mangion M. Assessing Creativity in Secondary Schools: A Focus on the Impact of an Arts‐based Intervention. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Abstract
The growing importance of creative knowledge workers as a resource of particular significance for the growth of organizations is becoming one of the greatest challenges of the knowledge-based economy. Thus, the growing role of creative organizations contributes to building the economic potential of cities, regions, countries, but also of various organizations operating in the market. The development of civilization at its current stage has always been a source of this type of activity. Hence, the issue of understanding how creative knowledge workers operate has been and continues to be addressed by researchers around the world in recent years. The topic presented in this article on the knowledge and creativity of employees and their impact on the growth of creative organizations to a certain extent responds to this demand. The aim of the article is to clarify and extend the conceptualization in terms of creative activities performed by knowledge workers and the correlations with their characteristics and with knowledge initiatives. Achieving the set aim would allow to indicate that modern development depends on the proper generation of knowledge and creativity and the resources offered by an organization to facilitate its absorption in terms of growth prospects. The article reviews the research on cognitive, theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues regarding the development of creative knowledge workers employed in creative organizations as well as characteristics of workers and knowledge initiatives introduced in organizations. The analysis of the literature allowed to establish a research framework and indicate which knowledge initiatives are important and which characteristics of selected employees may be related to creative activities. Empirical verification was carried out through the analysis of basic descriptive statistics with Spearman’s ρ rank correlation and the relationship between nominal and ordinal variables using chi-square tests. The results of the study revealed significant relationships between the performance of creative activities and certain characteristics of knowledge workers as well as between the performance of creative activities and the introduction of knowledge initiatives. It turned out that the knowledge of the nature of the connections between the mentioned activities and knowledge initiatives is the basis for determining which knowledge initiatives in the case of a given creative organization will bring the best results in the form of taking effective creative activities by knowledge workers. Moreover, a person who performs creative activities has only some of the characteristics presented in this article. The research results are particularly relevant to the development of creative knowledge workers employed in creative organizations. Setting out guidelines aimed at changing this state of affairs and the research conducted allowed the identification of areas for improvement in order to ensure that they develop more effectively and meet the demands of competitiveness, generating more innovative ideas.
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Wang L, Xu H, Yang D, Tian H, Xi R, Du K, Shi B, Luo Z. Achievement Goals and Creativity: Self‐Construal as an Antecedent. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Stevenson C, Baas M, van der Maas H. A Minimal Theory of Creative Ability. J Intell 2021; 9:jintelligence9010009. [PMID: 33669216 PMCID: PMC8006236 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence9010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of extensive research on creativity, the field still combats psychometric problems when measuring individual differences in creative ability and people's potential to achieve real-world outcomes that are both original and useful. We think these seemingly technical issues have a conceptual origin. We therefore propose a minimal theory of creative ability (MTCA) to create a consistent conceptual theory to guide investigations of individual differences in creative ability. Building on robust theories and findings in creativity and individual differences research, our theory argues that creative ability, at a minimum, must include two facets: intelligence and expertise. So, the MTCA simply claims that whenever we do something creative, we use most of our cognitive abilities combined with relevant expertise to be creative. MTCA has important implications for creativity theory, measurement, and practice. However, the MTCA isn't necessarily true; it is a minimal theory. We discuss and reject several objections to the MTCA.
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Zhang Y, Chen S, Li S, Zhao Q, Zhou Z, Huang F, Wang F. The use of internet language enhances creative performance. The Journal of General Psychology 2019; 148:26-44. [PMID: 31851874 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2019.1703628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Internet language is a creative product of the rapid development of computer-mediated communication. The present study was to investigate whether the use of Internet language enhances creative problem solving. In Study 1, sixty-two selected participants were equally divided into two groups according to their use experience of Chinese Internet language, and then both more and less experienced groups were asked to complete Chinese remote associates test and Chinese chengyu riddles. Results showed that the more experienced group performed significantly better in both the creative tasks. In Study 2, forty-six participants were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group was asked to learn Chinese Internet Language, while the control group was asked to learn scientific terminology. Two groups completed the aforementioned creative tasks in pretest and post-test. Results showed that the interaction between the group and test order was significant in Chinese chengyu riddle solving, in which the experimental group had a significantly higher average score in post-test than pretest. And there was no difference for the control group. These findings supported that Internet language use benefited creative problem solving, and it might be a convenient way in the practice of promoting creativity.
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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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Different role of the supplementary motor area and the insula between musicians and non-musicians in a controlled musical creativity task. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13006. [PMID: 31506553 PMCID: PMC6736976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49405-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to compose creative musical ideas depends on the cooperation of brain mechanisms involved in multiple processes, including controlled creative cognition, which is a type of creativity that has so far been poorly researched. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the brain evoked activations by using fMRI, in both musicians and non-musicians, during a general task of controlled musical creativity and its relationship with general creativity. Results revealed that during a rhythmic improvisation task, musicians show greater activation of the motor supplementary area, the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the insula, along with greater deactivation of the default mode network in comparison with non-musicians. For the group of musicians, we also found a positive correlation between the time improvising and the activation of the supplementary motor area, whilst in the non-musicians group improvisation time correlated with the activation of the insula. The results found for the musicians support the notion that the supplementary motor area plays a role in the representation and execution of musical behaviour, while the results in non-musicians reveal the role of the insula in the processing of novel musical information.
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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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Fink A, Reim T, Benedek M, Grabner RH. The Effects of a Verbal and a Figural Creativity Training on Different Facets of Creative Potential. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Memon H, Shimpi A, Shyam A, Sancheti P. Can upper limb taping or exercises improve hand function, writing speed and self-perception of performance in adolescent school children? Int J Adolesc Med Health 2018; 33:/j/ijamh.ahead-of-print/ijamh-2018-0065/ijamh-2018-0065.xml. [PMID: 30059349 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2018-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of students spend time in writing, which is a prime performance measure in examinations. Enhancement in handwriting should benefit students to attain better academic performance. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of taping and exercises on hand function, writing speed, self-perception of writing and to compare these techniques. METHODS A randomized control trial was conducted using cluster sampling in adolescent children across four schools in an urban city. A 4-week intervention study was conducted on 123 students divided into taping, exercise and control groups. Outcome measures were grip strength, pinch strength, 12-min writing speed test and the Writer Self-Perception Scale (WSPS). For intra-group analysis, a paired t-test was used for parametric values and the Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for non-parametric values. For inter-group analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for parametric values and the Kruskal-Wallis test for non-parametric values was used. RESULTS The taping group showed a significant improvement in grip strength (1.79 kg; p = 0.00), pinch strength [1.67 lb (757.4 g); p = 0.00] and writing speed (39.77 words/12 min; p = 0.00). The exercise group showed significant improvement in grip strength (2.09 kg; p = 0.00), pinch strength (1.28 lb; p = 0.00), writing speed (28.38 words/12 min; p = 0.00). In the control group, there was a significant increase in pinch strength (1.023 lb; p = 0.01) and writing speed (12.94 words/12 min; p = 0.02). Inter-group analysis showed significant difference in writing speed (p = 0.002) and grip strength (p = 0.00). There was no significant difference in perception (p = 0.071). CONCLUSION Taping and exercise are equally effective for enhancement of hand function, writing speed and self-perception in adolescent school children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Memon
- Sancheti Institute College of Physiotherapy, 12, Thube Park, Shivajinagar, Pune 411005, India
| | - Apurv Shimpi
- Sancheti Institute College of Physiotherapy, 12, Thube Park, Shivajinagar, Pune 411005, India
| | - Ashok Shyam
- Sancheti Institute for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, 16, Shivajinagar, Pune 411005, India
| | - Parag Sancheti
- Sancheti Institute for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, 16, Shivajinagar, Pune 411005, India
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Prochazkova L, Lippelt DP, Colzato LS, Kuchar M, Sjoerds Z, Hommel B. Exploring the effect of microdosing psychedelics on creativity in an open-label natural setting. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:3401-3413. [PMID: 30357434 PMCID: PMC6267140 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5049-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Taking microdoses (a mere fraction of normal doses) of psychedelic substances, such as truffles, recently gained popularity, as it allegedly has multiple beneficial effects including creativity and problem-solving performance, potentially through targeting serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors and promoting cognitive flexibility, crucial to creative thinking. Nevertheless, enhancing effects of microdosing remain anecdotal, and in the absence of quantitative research on microdosing psychedelics, it is impossible to draw definitive conclusions on that matter. Here, our main aim was to quantitatively explore the cognitive-enhancing potential of microdosing psychedelics in healthy adults. METHODS During a microdosing event organized by the Dutch Psychedelic Society, we examined the effects of psychedelic truffles (which were later analyzed to quantify active psychedelic alkaloids) on two creativity-related problem-solving tasks: the Picture Concept Task assessing convergent thinking and the Alternative Uses Task assessing divergent thinking. A short version of the Ravens Progressive Matrices task assessed potential changes in fluid intelligence. We tested once before taking a microdose and once while the effects were expected to be manifested. RESULTS We found that both convergent and divergent thinking performance was improved after a non-blinded microdose, whereas fluid intelligence was unaffected. CONCLUSION While this study provides quantitative support for the cognitive-enhancing properties of microdosing psychedelics, future research has to confirm these preliminary findings in more rigorous placebo-controlled study designs. Based on these preliminary results, we speculate that psychedelics might affect cognitive metacontrol policies by optimizing the balance between cognitive persistence and flexibility. We hope this study will motivate future microdosing studies with more controlled designs to test this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Prochazkova
- Cognitive Psychology Unit & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Dominique P. Lippelt
- Cognitive Psychology Unit & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lorenza S. Colzato
- Cognitive Psychology Unit & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands ,Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany ,Institute for Sports and Sport Science, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Martin Kuchar
- Forensic Laboratory of Biologically Active Substances, Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Prague, Czech Republic ,Department of Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Zsuzsika Sjoerds
- Cognitive Psychology Unit & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- Cognitive Psychology Unit & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Valgeirsdottir D, Onarheim B. Studying creativity training programs: A methodological analysis. CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/caim.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Balder Onarheim
- Management Engineering; Technical University of Denmark; Lyngby Denmark
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Brain state expression and transitions are related to complex executive cognition in normative neurodevelopment. Neuroimage 2017; 166:293-306. [PMID: 29126965 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is marked by rapid development of executive function. Mounting evidence suggests that executive function in adults may be driven by dynamic control of neurophysiological processes. Yet, how these dynamics evolve over adolescence and contribute to cognitive development is unknown. In a sample of 780 youth aged 8-22 yr (42.7% male) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopment Cohort, we use a dynamic graph approach to extract activation states in BOLD fMRI data from 264 brain regions. We construct a graph in which each observation in time is a node and the similarity in brain states at two different times is an edge. Using this graphical approach, we identify two primary brain states reminiscent of intrinsic and task-evoked systems. We show that time spent in these two states is higher in older adolescents, as is the flexibility with which the brain switches between them. Increasing time spent in primary states and flexibility among states relates to increases in a complex executive accuracy factor score over adolescence. Flexibility is more positively associated with accuracy toward early adulthood. These findings suggest that brain state dynamics are associated with complex executive function across a critical period of adolescence.
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Kleinmintz OM, Abecasis D, Tauber A, Geva A, Chistyakov AV, Kreinin I, Klein E, Shamay-Tsoory SG. Participation of the left inferior frontal gyrus in human originality. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:329-341. [PMID: 28828749 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1500-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human creative cognition is commonly described as a twofold cyclic process that involves an idea generation phase and an idea evaluation phase. Although the evaluation phase makes a crucial contribution to originality, its underlying mechanisms have not received sufficient research attention. Here, we suggest that the left inferior frontal gyrus (lIFG) plays a major role in the interplay between the evaluation and generation networks and that inhibiting this region's activity may have an effect on "releasing" the generation neural network, resulting in greater originality. To examine the neural networks that mediate the generation and evaluation of ideas, we conducted an fMRI experiment on a group of healthy human participants (Study 1), in which we compared an idea generation task to an idea evaluation task. We found that evaluating the originality of ideas is indeed associated with a relative increase in lIFG activation, as opposed to generating original ideas. We further showed that temporarily inhibiting the lIFG using continuous theta-burst stimulation (Study 2) results in less strict evaluation on the one hand and increased originality scores on the other. Our findings provide converging evidence from multiple methods to show that the lIFG participates in evaluating the originality of ideas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oded M Kleinmintz
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 31905, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Donna Abecasis
- The Graduate School of Creative Arts Therapies, Emili Sagol C.A.T Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amitay Tauber
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 31905, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amit Geva
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 31905, Haifa, Israel
| | | | | | - Ehud Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
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Podjarny G, Kamawar D, Andrews K. The Multidimensional Card Selection Task: A new way to measure concurrent cognitive flexibility in preschoolers. J Exp Child Psychol 2017; 159:199-218. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Kleibeuker SW, De Dreu CKW, Crone EA. Creativity Development in Adolescence: Insight from Behavior, Brain, and Training Studies. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2016; 2016:73-84. [DOI: 10.1002/cad.20148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Carsten K. W. De Dreu
- University of Amsterdam Department of Psychology and Center for Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making
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Holmes EA, Blackwell SE, Burnett Heyes S, Renner F, Raes F. Mental Imagery in Depression: Phenomenology, Potential Mechanisms, and Treatment Implications. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2016; 12:249-80. [PMID: 26772205 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-092925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mental imagery is an experience like perception in the absence of a percept. It is a ubiquitous feature of human cognition, yet it has been relatively neglected in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of depression. Imagery abnormalities in depression include an excess of intrusive negative mental imagery; impoverished positive imagery; bias for observer perspective imagery; and overgeneral memory, in which specific imagery is lacking. We consider the contribution of imagery dysfunctions to depressive psychopathology and implications for cognitive behavioral interventions. Treatment advances capitalizing on the representational format of imagery (as opposed to its content) are reviewed, including imagery rescripting, positive imagery generation, and memory specificity training. Consideration of mental imagery can contribute to clinical assessment and imagery-focused psychological therapeutic techniques and promote investigation of underlying mechanisms for treatment innovation. Research into mental imagery in depression is at an early stage. Work that bridges clinical psychology and neuroscience in the investigation of imagery-related mechanisms is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Holmes
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom; , , .,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Simon E Blackwell
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom; , ,
| | - Stephanie Burnett Heyes
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, United Kingdom; .,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - Fritz Renner
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom; , ,
| | - Filip Raes
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
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Grégoire J. Understanding Creativity in Mathematics for Improving Mathematical Education. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1891/1945-8959.15.1.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mathematical creativity is rooted in the intellectual abilities and personality traits of each individual, in which the direct influence of education is only moderate. However, education could have more influence on three important components of creativity: expertise, original thinking, and intrinsic motivation, which underlie individual creative potential. At school, the development of the students’ creative potential should start from the teachers’ mathematical education. Only expert and creative teachers can provide the appropriate environment for developing students’ creativity. To develop their original thinking, students should have the opportunity to work with ill-posed and open-ended problems, to go wrong and make mistakes, and to find different solutions to the same problems. Through these experiences, associated with positive emotions, students should develop an intrinsic motivation for creativity in mathematics.
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21
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Fink A, Benedek M, Koschutnig K, Pirker E, Berger E, Meister S, Neubauer AC, Papousek I, Weiss EM. Training of verbal creativity modulates brain activity in regions associated with language- and memory-related demands. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:4104-15. [PMID: 26178653 PMCID: PMC4587539 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
This functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) study was designed to investigate changes in functional patterns of brain activity during creative ideation as a result of a computerized, 3-week verbal creativity training. The training was composed of various verbal divergent thinking exercises requiring participants to train approximately 20 min per day. Fifty-three participants were tested three times (psychometric tests and fMRI assessment) with an intertest-interval of 4 weeks each. Participants were randomly assigned to two different training groups, which received the training time-delayed: The first training group was trained between the first and the second test, while the second group accomplished the training between the second and the third test session. At the behavioral level, only one training group showed improvements in different facets of verbal creativity right after the training. Yet, functional patterns of brain activity during creative ideation were strikingly similar across both training groups. Whole-brain voxel-wise analyses (along with supplementary region of interest analyses) revealed that the training was associated with activity changes in well-known creativity-related brain regions such as the left inferior parietal cortex and the left middle temporal gyrus, which have been shown as being particularly sensitive to the originality facet of creativity in previous research. Taken together, this study demonstrates that continuous engagement in a specific complex cognitive task like divergent thinking is associated with reliable changes of activity patterns in relevant brain areas, suggesting more effective search, retrieval, and integration from internal memory representations as a result of the training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fink
- Institute of PsychologyBioTechMed Graz, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Mathias Benedek
- Institute of PsychologyBioTechMed Graz, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Karl Koschutnig
- Institute of PsychologyBioTechMed Graz, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Eva Pirker
- Institute of PsychologyBioTechMed Graz, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Berger
- Institute of PsychologyBioTechMed Graz, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Sabrina Meister
- Institute of PsychologyBioTechMed Graz, University of Graz, Austria
| | | | - Ilona Papousek
- Institute of PsychologyBioTechMed Graz, University of Graz, Austria
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22
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Cousijn J, Koolschijn PCMP, Zanolie K, Kleibeuker SW, Crone EA. The relation between gray matter morphology and divergent thinking in adolescents and young adults. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114619. [PMID: 25514366 PMCID: PMC4267782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence and early adulthood are developmental time periods during which creative cognition is highly important for adapting to environmental changes. Divergent thinking, which refers to generating novel and useful solutions to open-ended problems, has often been used as a measure of creative cognition. The first goal of this structural neuroimaging study was to elucidate the relationship between gray matter morphology and performance in the verbal (AUT; alternative uses task) and visuo-spatial (CAT; creative ability test) domain of divergent thinking in adolescents and young adults. The second goal was to test if gray matter morphology is related to brain activity during AUT performance. Neural and behavioral data were combined from a cross-sectional study including 25 adolescents aged 15-17 and 20 young adults aged 25-30. Brain-behavior relationships were assessed without a priori location assumptions and within areas that were activated during an AUT-scanner task. Gray matter volume and cortical thickness were not significantly associated with verbal divergent thinking. However, visuo-spatial divergent thinking (CAT originality and fluency) was positively associated with cortical thickness of the right middle temporal gyrus and left brain areas including the superior frontal gyrus and various occipital, parietal, and temporal areas, independently of age. AUT brain activity was not associated with cortical thickness. The results support an important role of a widespread brain network involved in flexible visuo-spatial divergent thinking, providing evidence for a relation between cortical thickness and visuo-spatial divergent thinking in adolescents and young adults. However, studies including visuo-spatial divergent thinking tasks in the scanner are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Cousijn
- Brain and Development Lab, Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Developmental and Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - P Cédric M P Koolschijn
- Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kiki Zanolie
- Brain and Development Lab, Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sietske W Kleibeuker
- Brain and Development Lab, Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Brain and Development Lab, Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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