creativity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liane Gabora
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorders ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Psychological Study ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Versus Domain ◽  
Tangible Evidence

Creativity is perhaps what most differentiates humans from other species. Understanding creativity is particularly important in times of accelerated cultural and environmental change such as the present, in which novel approaches and perspectives are needed. The study of creativity is an exciting area that brings together many different branches of psychology: cognitive, social, personality, developmental, organizational, clinical, neuroscience, mathematical models, and computer simulations. The creative process is thought to involve the capacity to shift between divergent and convergent modes of thought in response to task demands. Divergent thought is conventionally characterized as and the kind of thinking needed for open-ended tasks, and measured by the ability to generate multiple solutions, while convergent thought is commonly characterized as the kind of thinking needed for tasks in which there is only one correct solution. More recently, divergent thought has been conceived of as reflecting on the task from unconventional contexts or perspectives, while convergent thought has been conceived of as reflecting on it from conventional contexts or perspectives. Personality traits correlated with creativity include openness to experience, tolerance of ambiguity, impulsivity, and self-confidence. Evidence that creativity is linked with affective disorders is mixed. Neuroscientific research on creativity using electroencephalography (EEG) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggest that creativity is associated with a loosening of cognitive control and decreased arousal. It has been shown that the distributed, content-addressable structure of associative memory is conducive to bringing task-relevant items to mind without the need for explicit search. Tangible evidence of human creativity date back to the earliest stone tools over three million years ago, with the Middle-Upper Paleolithic marking the onset of art, science and religion, and another surge of creativity in the present. Past and current areas of controversy concern the relative contributions of expertise, chance, and intuition, whether the emphasis should be on process versus product, whether creativity is domain-specific versus domain-general, the extent to which creativity is correlated with affective disorders, and whether divergent thinking entails the generation of multiple ideas or the honing of a single initially ambiguous mental representation that may manifest as different external outputs. Promising areas for further psychological study of creativity include computational modeling, research on the biological basis of creativity, and studies that track specific creative ideation processes over time.

Creativity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liane Gabora
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorders ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
General Function ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Psychological Study ◽  
Self Confidence

Creativity is perhaps what most differentiates humans from other species. Understanding creativity is particularly important in times of accelerated cultural and environmental change, such as the present, in which novel approaches and perspectives are needed. The study of creativity is an exciting area that brings together many different branches of research: cognitive psychology, social psychology, personality psychology, developmental psychology, organizational psychology, clinical psychology, neuroscience, mathematical models, and computer simulations. The creative process is thought to involve the capacity to shift between divergent and convergent modes of thought in response to task demands. Divergent thought is conventionally characterized as the kind of thinking needed for open-ended tasks, and it is measured by the ability to generate multiple solutions, while convergent thought is commonly characterized as the kind of thinking needed for tasks in which there is only one correct solution. More recently, divergent thought has been conceived of as reflecting on the task from unconventional contexts or perspectives, while convergent thought has been conceived of as reflecting on it from conventional contexts or perspectives. Personality traits correlated with creativity include openness to experience, tolerance of ambiguity, impulsivity, and self-confidence. Evidence that creativity is linked with affective disorders is mixed. Neuroscientific research on creativity using electroencephalography (EEG) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggests that creativity is associated with a loosening of cognitive control and decreased arousal. It has been shown that the distributed, content-addressable structure of associative memory is conducive to bringing task-relevant items to mind without the need for explicit search. Tangible evidence of human creativity dates back to the earliest stone tools devised over three million years ago, with the Middle-Upper Paleolithic marking the onset of art, science, and religion, and another surge of creativity in the present. Past and current areas of controversy concern the relative contributions of expertise, chance, and intuition, whether the emphasis should be on process versus product, whether creativity is a domain-specific or a domain-general function, the extent to which creativity is correlated with affective disorders, and whether divergent thinking entails the generation of multiple ideas or the honing of a single initially ambiguous mental representation that may manifest as different external outputs. Promising areas for further psychological study of creativity include computational modeling, research on the biological basis of creativity, and studies that track specific creative ideation processes over time.

Variations Across the Menstrual Cycle in EEG Activity During Thinking and Mental Relaxation

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Krug ◽  
M. Mölle ◽  
H.L. Fehm ◽  
J. Born
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Convergent Thinking ◽  
Eeg Activity ◽  
Dimensional Complexity ◽  
Mental Relaxation

Abstract Previous studies have indicated: (1) peak performance on tests of divergent creative thinking during the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle; (2) compared to convergent analytical thinking, divergent thinking was found to be associated with a distinctly increased dimensional complexity of ongoing EEG activity. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that cortical information processing during the ovulatory phase is characterized by an increased EEG dimensionality. Each of 16 women was tested on 3 occasions: during the ovulatory phase, the luteal phase, and menses. Presence of the phases was confirmed by determination of plasma concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone. The EEG was recorded while the women performed: (1) tasks of divergent thinking; (2) tasks of convergent thinking; and (3) during mental relaxation. In addition to EEG dimensional complexity, conventional spectral power analysis was performed. Behavioral data confirmed enhanced creative performance during the ovulatory phase while convergent thinking did not vary across cycle phases. EEG complexity was higher during divergent than convergent thought, but this difference remained unaffected by the menstrual phase. Influences of the menstrual phase on EEG activity were most obvious during mental relaxation. In this condition, women during the ovulatory phase displayed highest EEG dimensionality as compared with the other cycle phases, with this effect being most prominent over the central and parietal cortex. Concurrently, power within the alpha frequency band as well as theta power at frontal and parietal leads were lower during the luteal than ovulatory phase. EEG results indicate that task demands of thinking overrode effects of menstrual cycle. However, with a less demanding situation, an ovulatory increase in EEG dimensionality became prominent suggesting a loosening of associative habits during this phase.

Measurement Invariance of Divergent Thinking Across Gender, Age, and School Forms

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg-Tobias Kuhn ◽  
Heinz Holling
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

The present study explores the factorial structure and the degree of measurement invariance of 12 divergent thinking tests. In a large sample of German students (N = 1328), a three-factor model representing verbal, figural, and numerical divergent thinking was supported. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses revealed that partial strong measurement invariance was tenable across gender and age groups as well as school forms. Latent mean comparisons resulted in significantly higher divergent thinking skills for females and students in schools with higher mean IQ. Older students exhibited higher latent means on the verbal and figural factor, but not on the numerical factor. These results suggest that a domain-specific model of divergent thinking may be assumed, although further research is needed to elucidate the sources that negatively affect measurement invariance.

scholarly journals Domain-general factors influencing numerical and arithmetic processing

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Knops ◽  
Hans-Christoph Nuerk ◽  
Silke M. Göbel
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Cognition ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Number System ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Versus Domain ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Arithmetic Performance ◽  
General Aspects ◽  
Future Theory

This special issue contains 18 articles that address the question how numerical processes interact with domain-general factors. We start the editorial with a discussion of how to define domain-general versus domain-specific factors and then discuss the contributions to this special issue grouped into two core numerical domains that are subject to domain-general influences (see Figure 1). The first group of contributions addresses the question how numbers interact with spatial factors. The second group of contributions is concerned with factors that determine and predict arithmetic understanding, performance and development. This special issue shows that domain-general (Table 1a) as well as domain-specific (Table 1b) abilities influence numerical and arithmetic performance virtually at all levels and make it clear that for the field of numerical cognition a sole focus on one or several domain-specific factors like the approximate number system or spatial-numerical associations is not sufficient. Vice versa, in most studies that included domain-general and domain-specific variables, domain-specific numerical variables predicted arithmetic performance above and beyond domain-general variables. Therefore, a sole focus on domain-general aspects such as, for example, working memory, to explain, predict and foster arithmetic learning is also not sufficient. Based on the articles in this special issue we conclude that both domain-general and domain-specific factors contribute to numerical cognition. But the how, why and when of their contribution still needs to be better understood. We hope that this special issue may be helpful to readers in constraining future theory and model building about the interplay of domain-specific and domain-general factors.

scholarly journals Models of Metacognition

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
C Thenmozhi
Keyword(s):  
Active Role ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Metacognitive Skills ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Versus Domain ◽  
Emotional Aspects ◽  
Regulation Of Cognition ◽  
Knowledge Memory ◽  
And Control

Thinking is a common process. Cognitive ability includes knowledge, memory and metacognition.  Knowledge requires memory. These two are inextricably linked. Parents and teachers need to encourage children to take an active role in their learning and show them how to use what they know to the best advantage. Cognition is primarily a mental process. A successful theory of cognition would answer both the epistemological and biological questions. The purpose is to put forward a theory of cognition, that should provide an epistemological insight into the phenomenon of cognition. The concept of metacognition involves knowledge and control of self and control of the process. A metacognitive process consists of planning, strategies, knowledge, monitoring, evaluating and terminating. The Automation of Cognitive and Metacognitive Processes, Social and Emotional aspects of Metacognition, Domain General Versus domain specific Metacognitive Skills. Mata cognition, Intelligence and adaptive behaviour, Ann Brown distinguished between knowledge about cognition and regulation of cognition, Private Speech and Development of Metacognition is the models of metacognition.

Teaching Creativity

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Keith Simonton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Creative Development ◽  
Psychological Study ◽  
Creative Thought ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nature Vs Nurture

In the past decade, the psychological study of creativity has accelerated greatly. To facilitate the teaching of creativity, I provide an overview of the recent literature. The overview begins by discussing recent empirical results and research trends. This discussion specifically treats creativity’s cognitive, differential, developmental, and social aspects. Then I outline central controversies in the study of creativity. These debates concern the nature of creative thought (domain-specific vs. generic processes), creative development (nature vs. nurture), and creative persons (psychopathology vs. mental health). The article closes by asking not just how to teach creativity but also how to teach creativity creatively.

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