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The productive mind: Creativity as a source of abstract mental representations
Mark Fedyk1, Fei Xu2
1Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing & School of Medicine (Bioethics), University of California, Davis, Betty Irene Moore Hall, Sacramento, CA95817 mfedyk@ucdavis.edu markfedyk.net.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|July 11, 2020
Summary
The brain uses abstract representations for successful prediction. However, creativity also generates abstracta for various functions beyond just prediction.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroscience of Creativity
Background:
- Theories of brain function often focus on predictive processing.
- The role of abstract representations in cognition is increasingly recognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the broader functions of abstracta in the mind/brain system.
- To highlight the contribution of creativity to abstract representation generation.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of existing theories.
- Integration of findings from cognitive psychology and neuroscience.
Main Results:
- Abstracta are crucial for predictive coding in the brain.
- Creativity actively generates novel abstracta.
- These abstracta serve multiple cognitive purposes beyond prediction.
Conclusions:
- The mind/brain system's capabilities extend beyond prediction, with creativity playing a key role.
- Understanding abstracta generation is vital for a comprehensive view of brain function.
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