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Related Concept Videos

Creative Thinking01:25

Creative Thinking

Creative thinking encompasses innovative and unconventional methods for addressing challenges, often leading to groundbreaking solutions. Instead of focusing solely on enhancing existing systems, such as increasing smartphone battery capacity, creative thinking might inspire advancements like energy-efficient batteries or processors that minimize power consumption. This multidimensional approach underscores the importance of exploring novel pathways to innovation.
Divergent thinking is the...
Maxam-Gilbert Sequencing01:05

Maxam-Gilbert Sequencing

In the same year as the discovery of the Sanger sequencing method, another group of scientists, Allan Maxam and Walter Gilbert, demonstrated their chemical-cleavage method for DNA sequencing. The Maxam-Gilbert method relies on using different chemicals that can cleave the DNA sequence at specific sites, the separation of resulting DNA fragments of variable size using electrophoresis, and deciphering the DNA sequence from the resulting gel bands.
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Heuristics01:21

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

Optimally sequencing semantic search predicts creativity.

Olivier Toubia1, Jonah Berger2

  • 1Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States of America.

Plos One
|June 24, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a new way to measure creativity by analyzing the sequence of ideas. The Shortest Semantic Path Task reveals how efficiently creative individuals navigate concepts, offering a novel predictor of creative performance.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psychometrics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Creativity is vital for innovation and progress.
  • Existing research links creative performance to efficient semantic space navigation.
  • The optimal sequence of retrieved concepts in semantic search remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel measure for assessing the efficiency of concept retrieval sequences in creativity.
  • To develop and validate the Shortest Semantic Path Task (SSPT) and its associated measure, circuitousness.
  • To demonstrate that this new measure predicts creativity beyond existing metrics.

Main Methods:

  • Development of the Shortest Semantic Path Task (SSPT), a cognitive test.
  • Introduction of 'circuitousness' as an automatic measure of semantic search efficiency.
  • Conducting five validation studies to assess the predictive validity of the new measure.

Main Results:

  • The SSPT and circuitousness measure significantly predict creativity.
  • This novel measure offers a more comprehensive understanding of creative performance.
  • The findings highlight the importance of concept retrieval sequencing in the creative process.

Conclusions:

  • Optimal concept sequencing is a crucial, previously overlooked, aspect of creative efficiency.
  • The SSPT and circuitousness provide a valuable new tool for measuring creativity.
  • Further development of instruments for measuring optimal sequencing is warranted.