Common and specific neural correlates underlying creative generation and evaluation: An ALE meta-analysis study

The cognitive process underlying creative thinking is often conceptualized within a dual-state model, dividing it into generation and evaluation sub-processes. The generation process primarily involves the reorganization of existing knowledge to foster novel ideas, which are subsequently assessed for novelty and appropriateness during the evaluation process. Although these processes likely engage distinct cognitive components and neural mechanisms, there is a paucity of neuroimaging studies directly comparing them. This study utilized the activation likelihood estimation technique to pinpoint brain regions consistently and specifically engaged during both the creative generation and evaluation processes. We included 44 studies focusing on the creative generation process and 10 on the evaluation process in our meta-analyses. Our findings indicate involvement of the superior frontal gyrus (SFG), medial frontal gyrus (MedFG), cingulate gyrus (CG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), inferior parietal lobe (IPL), precentral gyrus (PreCG), and middle frontal gyrus (MFG) in the generation process. The evaluation process, on the other hand, predominantly activated the insula, claustrum, IFG, MedFG, and CG. Contrast analyses revealed two distinct clusters in the evaluation relative to the generation process: one comprising the insula and claustrum, and another combining the MedFG and CG. Additionally, a conjunction analysis identified the IFG as a common element in both processes. These results bolster the dual-state model of creativity and offer neuroimaging insights into the cognitive transitions between the two sub-processes.