Creative thinking as orchestrated by semantic processing vs. cognitive control brain networks

Abstract

Creativity is primarily investigated within the neuroscientific perspective as a unitary construct. While such an approach is beneficial when trying to infer the general picture regarding creativity and brain function, it is insufficient if the objective is to uncover the information processing brain mechanisms by which creativity occurs. As creative thinking emerges through the dynamic interplay between several cognitive processes, assessing the neural correlates of these operations would enable the development and characterization of an information processing framework from which to better understand this complex ability. This article focuses on two aspects of creative cognition that are central to generating original ideas. "Conceptual expansion" refers to the ability to widen one's conceptual structures to include unusual or novel associations, while "overcoming knowledge constraints" refers to our ability to override the constraining influence imposed by salient or pertinent knowledge when trying to be creative. Neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence is presented to illustrate how semantic processing and cognitive control networks in the brain differentially modulate these critical facets of creative cognition.

Keywords: cognitive control; creative cognition; divergent thinking; fronto-parietal network; fronto-striatal network; inhibitory control; semantic cognition.

Figure 1

A schematic diagram to highlight four of the several different mental operations that are involved in creative thinking with a hypothetical example of how different aspects of creative cognition work in unison during creative idea generation.