Clustering and switching in divergent thinking: Neurophysiological correlates underlying flexibility during idea
Serena Mastria1, Sergio Agnoli1, Marco Zanon2
1Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Viale Del Risorgimento 2, 40136, Bologna, Italy; Marconi Institute for Creativity (MIC), Villa Griffone, Via Dei Celestini 1, 40037, Sasso Marconi, Italy.
Neuropsychologia
|May 19, 2021
Summary
Brain activity during divergent thinking (DT) shows distinct patterns. Switching between idea categories, unlike staying within one, involves greater left-hemisphere alpha synchronization, suggesting increased cognitive effort for creative flexibility.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Divergent thinking (DT) involves generating novel ideas, often linked to increased cognitive demands.
- EEG alpha synchronization, particularly in posterior parietal regions, reflects high internal processing during DT.
- Cognitive flexibility, a key component of DT, allows for shifting between conceptual categories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if electroencephalography (EEG) alpha synchronization is modulated by cognitive flexibility during divergent thinking.
- To compare brain activity patterns between switching conceptual categories and staying within a category during idea generation.
Main Methods:
- Twenty participants performed a divergent thinking task (generating alternative uses for objects) while undergoing EEG recording.
- Cortical activation patterns were analyzed, focusing on lower alpha band (8-10 Hz) synchronization.
- Activity was compared during periods of category switching versus category clustering.
Main Results:
- Clustering (staying within a category) showed alpha synchronization lateralized to the right posterior parietal areas.
- Switching between categories induced posterior parietal synchronization in both right and left hemispheres.
- Switching demonstrated higher lower alpha band power in the left hemisphere compared to clustering.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive flexibility in divergent thinking involves distinct hemispheric modulations of lower alpha activity.
- Switching between semantic categories requires greater cognitive resources, reflected by increased left-hemisphere alpha synchronization.
- These findings highlight the neural mechanisms underlying creative idea generation and cognitive flexibility.
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