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The Opposite of Stress
Maria Meier1, Eva Unternaehrer1,2, Sabine M Schorpp1
1Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Experimental Psychology
|July 31, 2020
Summary
Relaxation enhances cognitive function, specifically divergent thinking, by increasing vagal tone. Creative potential influences this relationship, suggesting a link between creativity and the ability to relax.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Psychophysiological states significantly impact cognitive functions.
- While stress effects on cognition are well-studied, the impact of relaxation remains less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between parasympathetic activation and divergent thinking.
- To determine if vagal tone, an indicator of relaxation, influences creative potential.
Main Methods:
- Sixty healthy female participants were assigned to vagus nerve massage, shoulder massage, or a control group.
- Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) measured vagal tone during interventions.
- The Alternative Uses Test (AUT) assessed divergent thinking post-intervention.
Main Results:
- An association was found between vagal tone and divergent thinking outcomes.
- This association lost significance when controlling for individual creative potential.
- Creative potential showed a positive association with vagal tone.
Conclusions:
- Creative potential may be linked to an individual's capacity for relaxation.
- Vagal tone might mediate the relationship between relaxation and creative cognitive processes.
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