Creative conceptual expansion: A combined fMRI replication and extension study to examine individual differences in creativity. (September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abraham, Anna; Rutter, Barbara; Bantin, Trisha; Hermann, Christiane
• Is Part Of: Neuropsychologia. Volume 118(2018)Part A
• Page Start: 29
• Page End: 39
• Publication Date: 2018-09
• Subjects: Creative cognition -- Semantic cognition -- Divergent thinking -- Working memory -- Conceptual expansion -- Neurocognition; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychologie -- Périodiques; Neuropsychology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.05.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-3932

Abstract

Abstract: The aims of this fMRI study were two-fold. The first objective of the study was to verify whether the findings associated with a previous fMRI study could be replicated in which a novel event-related experimental design was developed which rendered it possible to investigate the brain basis of creative conceptual expansion. The ability to widen the boundaries of conceptual structures is integral to creative idea generation, which makes conceptual expansion a core component of creative cognition. Creative conceptual expansion led to the engagement of brain regions that are known to be involved in the access, storage and relational integration of conceptual knowledge in the original study. These included the anterior inferior frontal gyrus, the temporal poles and the lateral frontal pole. These findings in relation to the brain basis of creative conceptual expansion were replicated in the current study. The second objective of this study was to evaluate the brain basis of individual differences in creative conceptual expansion. The high creative group relative to the low creative group was shown to exhibit greater activity in regions of the semantic cognition network as well as the salience network during creative conceptual expansion. The findings are discussed from the point of view of classical hypotheses about information processing biases that explain individual differences in creativity including flat associative hierarchies, defocused attention and cognitive disinhibition. Highlights: The present study replicated previous fMRI findings on creative conceptual expansion. Implicated regions underlie access, storage and integration of conceptual knowledge. Individual differences in creative conceptual expansion were also examined. High creatives engage regions within semantic cognition and salience networks.