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Impact of chronic physical activity on individuals' creativity
Ashish Bollimbala1, P S James2
1School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Kamand, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India. nbashish@gmail.com.
Psychological Research
|August 10, 2023
Summary
Chronic physical activity for six weeks significantly boosted students' creativity, specifically enhancing divergent thinking skills like fluency and originality. These cognitive benefits, particularly in originality, persisted even two weeks after the activity ceased.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Exercise Science
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Existing research indicates physical activity positively impacts cognitive functions.
- The relationship between acute physical activity and creativity is documented, but the effects of chronic physical activity remain less understood.
- Key questions address whether sustained physical activity influences creativity and the duration of such effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a 6-week chronic physical activity intervention on individual creativity in school students.
- To compare creativity improvements in an experimental group engaging in physical activity against a control group performing regular class activities.
- To assess the persistence of physical activity's effects on creativity two weeks after the intervention period.
Main Methods:
- Employed Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) with 49 school students.
- Participants were randomly assigned to either a physical activity intervention group or a control group.
- Creativity, operationalized as divergent thinking, was measured using the Alternate Uses Task before, during (6 weeks), and after (2 weeks post-intervention) the study.
Main Results:
- After 6 weeks, participants in the physical activity group demonstrated significant improvements in both fluency and originality components of divergent thinking compared to the control group.
- A notable lingering effect of the physical activity intervention was observed on the originality component of divergent thinking.
- Findings provide empirical support for the strength model of self-control in the context of physical activity and cognitive enhancement.
Conclusions:
- A 6-week chronic physical activity program can enhance creativity, specifically divergent thinking, in school students.
- The positive effects of physical activity on creativity, particularly originality, show some durability post-intervention.
- Results suggest practical implications for educational settings to integrate physical activity for cognitive benefits and creativity development.
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