Enhancing creativity by means of cognitive stimulation: Evidence from an fMRI study
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1
University of Graz, Department of Psychology, Austria
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2
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Switzerland
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3
Medical University of Graz, Department of Neurology, Austria
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4
Medical University of Graz, Department of Radiology, Austria
The ability to think creatively appears to be indispensable in many areas of our everyday life and many people may thus agree with Simonton [1] that creativity is “…a good attribute for people to possess…” It is essential in science and culture, in economy and engineering, and particularly in the pedagogical and educational domain. In this fMRI study we address the research question whether creative thinking can be improved effectively by means of cognitive stimulation and how intervention effects are apparent at the level of the brain. Cognitive stimulation via the exposure to ideas of other people is known as an effective tool in stimulating creativity in group-based creativity techniques such as brainstorming. Each single idea or solution a person generates to a specific problem stimulates new ideas or solutions in others. Thirty-one participants were requested to generate alternative uses of conventional everyday objects (AU task) during fMRI recording. In addition to the simple AU task condition (without any intervention), participants performed the task after a time period in which they had to reflect on their own ideas or in which they were confronted with stimulus-related ideas of other people. As fourth experimental condition (control task) participants were required to produce typical characteristics of everyday objects. Behavioral analyses indicated that cognitive stimulation through sharing ideas of other people was most effective in improving originality of ideas. This performance improvement was associated with activation increases in a widespread network of brain regions including right-hemispheric temporo-parietal, medial frontal, and posterior cingulate cortices, bilaterally. In light of the involvement of these brain areas in semantic integration and memory retrieval as well as related attentional processes, the findings suggest that cognitive stimulation could have resulted in a modulation of bottom-up attention enabling participants to produce more distantly related (and thus more original) ideas.
References
1. Simonton (2000). Creativity. Cognitive, personal, developmental, and social aspects. Am Psychol, 55, 151-158.
Conference:
EARLI SIG22 - Neuroscience and Education, Zurich, Switzerland, 3 Jun - 5 Jun, 2010.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Creative thinking
Citation:
Fink
A,
Grabner
RH,
Gebauer
D,
Reishofer
G,
Koschutnig
K and
Ebner
F
(2010). Enhancing creativity by means of cognitive stimulation: Evidence from an fMRI study.
Front. Neurosci.
Conference Abstract:
EARLI SIG22 - Neuroscience and Education.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.11.00025
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Received:
31 May 2010;
Published Online:
31 May 2010.
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Correspondence:
Andreas Fink, University of Graz, Department of Psychology, Graz, Austria, andreas.fink@uni-graz.at