Can creativity be seen in the brain?
We are also interested in how creativity emerges in the brain and how it can be measured. Neuroscientific research explores how different cognitive processes and neural networks interact when people generate new ideas. Since creativity is a complex phenomenon, it cannot be captured by a single method, but rather through a combination of approaches—from cognitive tasks to neuroimaging techniques. This helps to better understand the mechanisms that enable and support creative thinking.
Further reading:
- Benedek, M., Christensen, A. P., Fink, A., & Beaty, R. E. (2019). Creativity Assessment in Neuroscience Research. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 13, 218-226. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000215
- Benedek, M., Rominger, C., & Fink, A. (2024). Creativity assessment in cognitive neuroscience. In Handbook of creativity assessment (pp. 148-165). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839102158.00017
- Fink, A., & Benedek, M. (2019). The neuroscience of creativity. Neuroforum, 25(4), 231-240. https://doi.org/10.1515/nf-2019-0006
- Ceh, S. M., Annerer-Walcher, S., Koschutnig, K., Körner, C., Fink, A., & Benedek, M. (2021). Neurophysiological indicators of internal attention: An fMRI–eye-tracking coregistration study. Cortex, 143, 29-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2021.07.005
