Creativity and the brain: Uncovering the neural signature of conceptual expansion
Creativity and the brain: Uncovering the neural signature of conceptual expansion
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DOI：
10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.04.015
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发表时间：
2012-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Hermann, Christiane
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Abraham, Anna;Pieritz, Karoline;Hermann, Christiane
迄今为止，由于对创造力结构的过度概括、所使用的创造力任务类型的异质性以及所采用的比较任务的有效性值得怀疑，创造力的神经生理学研究尚未就这种复杂认知的具体神经基础得出明确的结论。目前的功能磁共振成像研究开发了一种新颖的实验设计，使得研究创造性认知的一个关键方面——概念扩展——与一般的发散思维、工作记忆或认知负荷不同成为可能。研究发现，涉及概念知识保留、检索和整合的大脑区域，如额前下回、颞极和外侧额极皮层，在概念扩展过程中选择性地参与其中。这些发现与主张右半球在创造性思维过程中占主导地位的一般观点相悖，并表明有必要重新考虑前扣带皮层等区域的功能，以纳入认知控制的更抽象方面。这项研究代表了创造力研究的新方向，因为它强调了采用基于过程的视角的必要性，在这种视角下，可以真正掌握创造力的多方面本质。 (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. 保留所有权利。
Neurophysiological studies of creativity thus far have not allowed for clear conclusions to be made regarding the specific neural underpinnings of such complex cognition due to overgeneralizations concerning the creativity construct, heterogeneity in the type of creativity tasks used, and the questionable efficacy of the employed comparison tasks. A novel experimental design was developed in the present fMRI study which rendered it possible to investigate a critical facet of creative cognition - that of conceptual expansion - as distinct from general divergent thinking, working memory, or cognitive load. Brain regions involved in the retention, retrieval and integration of conceptual knowledge such as the anterior inferior frontal gyrus, the temporal poles and the lateral frontopolar cortex were found to be selectively involved during conceptual expansion. The findings go against generic ideas that argue for the dominance of the right hemisphere during creative thinking and indicate the necessity to reconsider the functions of regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex to include more abstract facets of cognitive control. This study represents a new direction in the investigation of creativity in that it highlights the necessity to adopt a process based perspective in which the multifaceted nature of creativity can be truly grasped. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.