The DOI matches its Crossref record; 75 of the 76 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 54 of the 88 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics
Open accessAbstract
Creative thinking is central to the arts, sciences, and everyday life. How does the brain produce creative thought? A series of recently published papers has begun to provide insight into this question, reporting a strikingly similar pattern of brain activity and connectivity across a range of creative tasks and domains, from divergent thinking to poetry composition to musical improvisation. This research suggests that creative thought involves dynamic interactions of large-scale brain systems, with the most compelling finding being that the default and executive control networks, which can show an antagonistic relation, tend to cooperate during creative cognition and artistic performance. These findings have implications for understanding how brain networks interact to support complex cognitive processes, particularly those involving goal-directed, self-generated thought.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This review argues that creative thinking emerges from dynamic interplay between default and executive control brain systems, especially when self-generated thought is guided by task goals. It synthesizes neuroimaging evidence from divergent thinking and artistic performance to propose that default regions generate candidate ideas while control regions evaluate and constrain them.
Key findings
- Across divergent thinking, poetry composition, musical improvisation, and visual art, studies report cooperation or coupling between default and control network regions, contrary to their usual antagonistic relationship.
- In a poetry composition study, ICA identified five hierarchical clusters, including default and control clusters; during spontaneous generation these clusters were negatively correlated, but their correlation increased during revision/evaluation.
- In musical improvisation, constraining pianists to specific pitch sets increased DLPFC coupling with motor-control regions, whereas expressing specific emotions increased DLPFC–default network connectivity.
- The proposed framework holds that the default network supplies candidate ideas from memory and self-generated thought, while the control network monitors, selects, inhibits, and modifies ideas to meet goals; coupling may weaken when goals are vague or top-down constraints are relaxed.
Methods
- Narrative review and integrative framework, not a primary empirical study.
- Draws on recent fMRI and functional connectivity studies of domain-general creativity (e.g., alternate uses divergent thinking) and domain-specific artistic performance (music, poetry, visual art).
- Synthesizes findings from cited experiments using seed-based, dynamic functional connectivity, ICA, and univariate analyses to support a default–control interaction model.
Limitations
- Stated: the authors explicitly exclude research on creative insight and refer readers elsewhere; no formal limitations section is provided.
- Evident from the text: it is a selective narrative synthesis rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis, with no new data or quantitative pooling.
- Evident: conclusions rest on a limited set of cited neuroimaging studies across different tasks and domains, and the authors note default–control coupling is not ubiquitous, so boundary conditions remain to be clarified.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
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Verification
Claims the paper makes
21 Own interpretation · 15 Partly supported · 13 No full text of the sources · 11 Supported · 9 Supported so far · 1 Sources not found · 1 Not checked yet · accuracy not yet measured
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Although self-generated thoughts can occur spontaneously in mind, they also have been shown to benefit from goal-directed processing and cognitive control [5].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Creativity, Cognitive Control, and Self-Generated Thought
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [5] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Introduction describes self-generated thoughts as sometimes purposeful and related to personal goals, even though they can also arise without intent. The section on default and frontoparietal control network interactions says that some forms depend on executive resources, while the content regulation section links adaptive regulation to their benefits. (LLM, conf=0.91)
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Such processes typically involve the top-down modulation of self-generated information [5].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [5] source
In “Default and frontoparietal control network interactions” (page not provided), the paper says that goals served by the default network depend on top-down regulatory processes. It also describes default–control network cooperation as maintaining or evaluating self-generated information in the service of a goal. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“Importantly, the default and control networks have also shown cooperation during several cognitive processes [8, 17–21].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [8] source
The Results report recruitment of both default and executive network regions during mind wandering. The Discussion describes similar parallel recruitment during creative thinking and naturalistic film viewing, supporting the broader statement that the networks can cooperate during several cognitive processes. (LLM, conf=0.88)
- Could not verifycites [17] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Discussion reports activation of cognitive-control regions during reappraisal, but does not assess cooperation between default and control networks. Searches for “default mode” and “cooperation between default and control networks” found no passage addressing that relationship across cognitive processes. The indexed passages provide no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.75)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [18] source
- Supportedcites [19] source
The Discussion reports coupling between default-network and executive regions during goal-directed mental simulation. It also describes parallel activity in creative thinking, mind wandering, and autobiographical planning, supporting the broader statement about cooperation across several cognitive processes. (LLM, conf=0.91)
- Supportedcites [20] source
The Introduction reports coactivation and coupling of default and executive regions during internally directed, goal-directed cognition. The Discussion describes interactions during the paper’s working-memory task and reports increased connectivity or activation in transitive reasoning and social working-memory tasks. Together, these passages support the broad claim that the networks cooperate across several cognitive processes. (LLM, conf=0.91)
- Supportedcites [21] source
The Discussion reports cooperation between the default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN) during a working-memory task. It also describes a similar pattern of network activity across future planning, creative thought, decisions about future rewards, and social memory, supporting the broader claim about several cognitive processes. No page number is supplied in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“We suspect that memory systems may play a key role in the generation of candidate ideas across domain-general and domain-specific contexts (cf. [52]).”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [52] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Introduction links memory search and retrieval to generating unusual associations and a larger pool of novel ideas. The Discussion proposes that semantic-memory structure constrains search in the Remote Associates Test. These passages support a role for memory in generating candidate ideas, but they do not establish that role across both domain-general and domain-specific contexts. (LLM, conf=0.83)
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Moreover, a study of healthy young and older adults reported that performance on the alternate uses task was positively correlated with the number of episodic details that participants reported when they imagined future personal experiences [71].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [71] source
The Results ("Relation between Divergent Thinking and Episodic Simulation"; page unavailable) report that all five divergent-thinking measures correlated significantly with internal episodic details in imagined future events. The Methods identify the measure as the Alternative Uses Task, and the study included young and older adults. (LLM, conf=0.91)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“Moreover, a functional connectivity analysis revealed increased coupling of default and control network regions during idea evaluation, consistent with the poetry composition study described above [34].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Network Interaction During Artistic Performance
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [27] source
- Supportedcites [34] source
The Results (Functional Connectivity during Generation and Revision Phases; page not available) report that anticorrelation between MPFC- and DLPFC/IPS-centered clusters during poetry generation was markedly attenuated during revision. The Discussion describes revision as potentially involving evaluation. The citation supports the stated consistency with the poetry study; it is not offered as the source of the visual-artists finding. (LLM, conf=0.87)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Recent research points to an important role of the default network and episodic memory in creative cognition ([50–51]; see Box 1).”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [50] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Discussion (‘The generation of new vs. old ideas’; page unavailable) proposes that episodic-memory recall may be crucial for generating novel ideas. The Discussion (‘Divergent thinking effects’; page unavailable) reports deactivation of default-mode-network regions during divergent thinking, but interprets it as possibly reflecting general goal-directed processing, not an important creative role for the network. (LLM, conf=0.82)
- Supportedcites [51] source
In the Discussion’s ‘Neural correlates of metaphor production’ section (page not supplied), the authors report activation of regions associated with the default mode network during metaphor production and link the PCC to episodic memory retrieval. They also describe creative ideas as recombinations of memory elements, supporting the citing sentence’s broad, hedged claim. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Whole-brain functional connectivity analysis was used to identify a network of brain regions associated with divergent thinking, which included several regions of the default, control, and salience networks (see Figure 1A).”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Network Interaction During Domain-General Creative Cognition
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [26] source
The Present Research section states that participants performed an alternate-uses divergent thinking task during fMRI and that whole-brain connectivity was analyzed. The Discussion states that this analysis identified a distributed network containing default, executive (control), and salience network regions. (LLM, conf=0.94)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“The default network has shown robust activation when people imagine future experiences [14, 22–23].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [14] source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [22] source
- Supportedcites [23] source
The “Neural and cognitive similarities” section reports activation in brain regions that substantially overlap with the default network when people imagine the future. It also explicitly describes studies showing default-network activity during future imagination; the copy does not provide a page number. (LLM, conf=0.90)
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“For example, the default and control networks show cooperation during autobiographical future planning—constructing a detailed and sequential mental representation about a future goal state [10, 19, 24].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [10] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Discussion reports that the frontoparietal control network coupled with the default network during autobiographical planning. The Tasks section describes participants sequencing steps and obstacles into a personal plan for achieving a goal and rating the plan’s detail. These passages support both the network cooperation and the characterization of the planning task; page numbers were not provided. (LLM, conf=0.91)
- Supportedcites [19] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Introduction describes planning for a future goal as integrating relevant information and envisioning a sequence of actions. The Discussion reports coactivity of default-network and cognitive-control regions during autobiographical planning, and relates that finding to the paper’s own goal-directed simulation results. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [24] source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
- Probably not a substantial claim. 8
- It may state two separate claims as one. 17
- Borderline: one of the tests for a substantial claim is unclear. 1
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“The default network consists of midline and posterior inferior parietal regions that show increased metabolic activity in the absence of most externally-presented cognitive tasks [12].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [12] source
The Discussion identifies medial prefrontal, posterior cingulate and precuneus regions as part of a default state when a person is not engaged in an attention-demanding task; it also identifies lateral parietal cortex as part of the system. The paper reports that these regions decrease in activity during cognitive tasks, consistent with greater activity in their absence. It does not use the precise label “posterior inferior parietal,” but the anatomical paraphrase does not change the central claim. (LLM, conf=0.84)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“The control network consists of lateral prefrontal and anterior inferior parietal regions, and its activity is associated with cognitive processes that require externally-directed attention, including working memory, relational integration, and task-set switching [15].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [15] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The ICA and Functional significance sections describe an executive-control network including lateral prefrontal and lateral parietal regions, associated with attention, working memory, and control. The Executive functioning section also describes switching between mental sets, but the copy does not identify the parietal region specifically as anterior inferior or link the network to relational integration. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“Default network activity is associated with spontaneous and self-generated thought, including mind-wandering, mental simulation, social cognition, autobiographical retrieval, and episodic future thinking [5, 13–14].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [5] source
In “The default network plays an active role in self-generated cognition” (page not supplied), the paper links default-network activity to mind-wandering and spontaneous thought. The same section describes increased activity during autobiographical retrieval, imagining scenes, thinking about the future, and inferring others’ mental states, supporting the listed examples. (LLM, conf=0.94)
- Supportedcites [13] source
The “Internal mentation or external attention?” section links default-network activity to spontaneous thought and mind-wandering. The sections on the MTL subsystem, dMPFC subsystem, and aMPFC/PCC hubs describe its involvement in memory-based simulation, autobiographical recollection, future-event simulation, and social cognition. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.94)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [14] source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“During working memory tasks, for example, the control network typically shows increased activation while the default network deactivates, presumably reflecting the suppression of task-unrelated thoughts during cognitive control [16].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [16] source
In “Functional relevance of DMN deactivation” (page unavailable), the review says visual working memory robustly activates a task-positive frontoparietal attention network whose activity is often anticorrelated with the DMN. The same section reports DMN suppression during working-memory tasks and presents disengagement from distracting thoughts such as mind-wandering as a hypothesis, consistent with the claim’s tentative wording. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plainconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“This correlation with divergent thinking, however, was specific to imagined future events and was not observed for recalled or imagined past events.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [71] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results (Relation between Divergent Thinking and Episodic Simulation; page unavailable) report that all five Alternative Uses measures correlated significantly with episodic detail in imagined future events. But elaboration also correlated significantly with detail in imagined past events and showed a trend for recalled past events. The paper further reports no significant difference between the future and imagined-past relationships, so the claim of a future-specific correlation overstates the findings. (LLM, conf=0.90)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Our model builds on a seminal theory [28] that suggested that the default and control networks may contribute to idea generation and selection, respectively, by means of the evolutionary processes of blind variation and selective retention (cf. [30–31]).”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Default and Executive Control Network Dynamics
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [28] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
In “Creativity as blind variation and selective retention” (page unavailable), Jung links blind variation to generating ideas and selective retention to filtering them. In “What does it all mean?” (page unavailable), the paper proposes the default mode network as a setting for sequential BVSR, but it does not assign idea selection specifically to the cognitive control network. The claimed division of labor between the two networks is therefore not fully supported. (LLM, conf=0.86)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [30] source
- Not matchedcites [31]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
hedgedconditional- Asserted: fails — The authors may not put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The authors may not put it forward as true. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Idea generation is often conceived as a bottom-up process associated with diffuse attention, whereas idea evaluation is thought to involve focused attention and cognitive control [28].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Network Interaction During Artistic Performance
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [28] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
In “Creativity as blind variation and selective retention” (page unavailable), the paper describes generating many novel ideas and then filtering them for usefulness. “What does it all mean?” (page unavailable) links disinhibition to generating multiple ideas without refinement or selection. These passages support the generation–evaluation distinction, but do not characterize generation as bottom-up or explicitly link evaluation to focused attention and cognitive control. (LLM, conf=0.83)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“In the study of study of poetry composition [34], for example, poets were simply asked to spontaneously generate novel poetry—not to engage a generative strategy, as in the study of musical improvisation (e.g., [35])—so the top-down functions of the control network were not required.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [34] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Methods (Experimental Design; page not supplied) say participants were asked to spontaneously generate a novel poem, with no prescribed generative strategy. The Results (Brain Activations During Generation of New Poems in All Subjects; page not supplied) report decreased activity in DLPFC and IPS during generation, but decreased activity does not establish that top-down control was unnecessary. The Discussion (Expertise; page not supplied) also suggests novices may rely more on prefrontal control. (LLM, conf=0.85)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [35] source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“It has previously been suggested that the default and control networks will cooperate to generate and maintain an “internal train of thought” [65] or during the extended evaluation of internal information [5].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [65] source
- Supportedcites [5] source
Citation [5] is attached to the extended evaluation of internal information, not the quoted “internal train of thought” attributed to [65]. In “Default and frontoparietal control network interactions” (page not provided), the paper says default and control networks can cooperate in tasks requiring the maintenance or extended evaluation of internal information. (LLM, conf=0.93)
hedgeddirect- Asserted: fails — The authors may not put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The authors may not put it forward as true. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Critically, administering the specificity induction increased the number of appropriate uses that participants generated on a subsequent alternate uses task, and also increased episodic details on a future simulation task [72].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [72] source
Experiment 1 Results report that the specificity induction increased appropriate uses on the alternate uses task. Experiment 1 Discussion reports that it also increased episodic details when participants imagined future events. Page numbers are not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.93)
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“But this negative correlation was markedly attenuated during idea evaluation, possibly due to increased task demands and top-down control required.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [34] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results and Discussion (Functional Connectivity; The Creative Process, pages unavailable) report that anticorrelation between the MPFC-associated and attention/control clusters was markedly attenuated during poetry revision, when top-down attention was reengaged. The paper describes idea evaluation as a component of revision, but it did not measure the correlation during a separate idea-evaluation condition or establish increased task demands as its cause. (LLM, conf=0.88)
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Indeed, the authors reported increased activation of default regions during poetry generation, and a functional connectivity analysis revealed a negative correlation between default and control network regions during generation.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [34] sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results sections on brain activations and functional connectivity report increased MPFC activity during poetry generation and a significant anticorrelation between MPFC-centered and DLPFC/IPS-centered clusters. But the broader claim that default regions increased activation overstates the findings: the activation results also report decreased activity in the precuneus, and the connectivity results group portions of the precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex with DLPFC/IPS. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
In the paper
“Self-generated thoughts arise from internally-focused mental activity that is largely independent of external input [4].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Creativity, Cognitive Control, and Self-Generated Thought
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [4] source
direct- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Borderline substantial claim. It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Creativity is a broadly defined construct, but it is generally assumed to involve the generation of some product that is both novel and useful [1–3].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Creativity, Cognitive Control, and Self-Generated Thought
What the sources say
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In general, we contend that the default network influences the generation of candidate ideas, but that the control network can constrain and direct this process to meet task-specific goals via top-down monitoring and executive control.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Default-control network coupling is not ubiquitous, however, as the networks have shown both cooperation and competition during creative thinking tasks.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“At the univariate level of analysis, idea generation was associated with widespread activity of default regions, whereas idea evaluation was associated with both default (e.g., MPFC and PCC) and control network activity (e.g., DLPFC and ACC).”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Network Interaction During Artistic Performance
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [27] source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Generating semantically-distant verbs—responses that were remotely associated with nouns, assessed via Latent Semantic Analysis—was associated with activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), a hub of the default network; moreover, as the semantic distance between the noun and verb increased, the MPFC showed greater coupling with the ventral ACC.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Network Interaction During Domain-General Creative Cognition
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [33] source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Creativity researchers have long speculated that creative thought involves a two-stage process of idea generation and idea evaluation [49].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Network Interaction During Artistic Performance
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [49]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These studies suggest that generating new ideas in poetry and visual art may benefit from self-generated thoughts originating in the default network, but that such ideas may require top-down modulation during evaluation, thus reflected in default-control network coupling.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Network Interaction During Artistic Performance
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The control network may therefore maintain an “internal train of thought” by keeping the task goal activated, inhibiting aesthetically undesirable or goal-incongruent melodic sequences, and strategically searching memory for goal-congruent sequences.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In this context, the default network may provide bottom-up evaluations via spontaneously-generated and self-referential mechanisms; the control network, in turn, may compare this information to the task goal and modify it via cognitive control mechanisms such as inhibition and selection.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The authors of this study suggest that idea evaluation may invoke a unique mode of analytic processing characterized by both deliberate (top-down) and spontaneous (bottom-up) forms of evaluative thought [27].”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Brain Networks and Creative Cognition: An Integrative Framework
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [27] source
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This emerging literature suggests that creative thought involves cooperation of the default and control networks—similar to other forms of goal-directed, self-generated thought—and that the extent of control network involvement may depend on the extent to which creative thought is constrained to meet specific task goals.”
§ Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics > Concluding Remarks
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
Functional connectivity or coupling between brain regions indexes cooperation or interaction between the corresponding large-scale networks.
“A growing number of studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and functional connectivity analysis of fMRI data to assess dynamic interactions between large-scale brain systems, such as the default and executive control networks, during creative cognition and artistic performance.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Performance on laboratory creative tasks such as divergent thinking, poetry composition, and musical improvisation reflects creative cognition in real-world domains.
“We consider neuroimaging evidence related to both domain-general (e.g., divergent thinking) and domain-specific (e.g., musical improvisation) creative thought.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Nevertheless, this overarching data pattern fits with emerging frameworks that emphasize the role of the core network and its flexible coupling with other networks in the service of goal-directed tasks that comprise multiple component processes, including divergent thinking”
From Neural Mechanisms of Episodic Retrieval Support Divergent Creative Thinking (2019) · cites this paper as Beaty et al. 2016
Citations
Cites
A default mode of brain function
Raichle, M. E., MacLeod, A. M., Snyder, A. Z., Powers, W. J., Gusnard, D. A., & Shulman, G. L. (2001) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.98.2.676 · Cited by 12,190 · cited 1×
“The default network comprises midline and posterior inferior parietal regions that show increased metabolic activity in the absence of most externally presented cognitive tasks [12].”
BackgroundThe Brain's Default Network: Anatomy, Function, and Relevance to Disease
Buckner, R. L., Andrews‐Hanna, J. R., & Schacter, D. L. (2008) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1196/annals.1440.011 · Cited by 9,761
Self-citationDissociable intrinsic connectivity networks for salience processing and executive control
Seeley, W. W., Menon, V., Schatzberg, A. F., Keller, J., Glover, G. H., Kenna, H., Reiss, A. L., & Greicius, M. D. (2007) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.5587-06.2007 · Cited by 7,426 · cited 1×
“The control network comprises lateral prefrontal and anterior inferior parietal regions, and its activity is associated with cognitive processes that require externally directed attention, including working memory, relational integration, and task-set switching [15].”
BackgroundThe standard definition of creativity
Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2012.650092 · Cited by 3,895 · cited 1×
“Creativity is a broadly defined construct, but it is generally assumed to involve the generation of some product that is both novel and useful [1–3].”
BackgroundRemembering the past to imagine the future: the prospective brain
Schacter, D. L., Addis, D. R., & Buckner, R. L. (2007) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2213 · Cited by 2,394 · cited 4×
“As noted above, a primary function of the default network is episodic memory retrieval [22].”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationBlind variation and selective retentions in creative thought as in other knowledge processes
Campbell, D. T. (1960) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/h0040373 · Cited by 2,329 · cited 1×
“[30,31]).”
Andrews‐Hanna, J. R., Smallwood, J., & Spreng, R. N. (2014) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.12360 · Cited by 2,102
Cognitive Reappraisal of Emotion: A Meta-Analysis of Human Neuroimaging Studies
Buhle, J. T., Silvers, J. A., Wager, T. D., Lopez, R., Onyemekwu, C., Kober, H., Weber, J., & Ochsner, K. N. (2014) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bht154 · Cited by 1,896
Christoff, K., Gordon, A. M., Smallwood, J., Smith, R., & Schooler, J. W. (2009) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0900234106 · Cited by 1,769 · cited 1×
“The model is discussed in the context of research that has provided evidence for related default-control network interactions in studies of mind wandering [8,9], autobiographical planning [10,11], and other modes of self-generated thought [5].”
BackgroundCreative cognition: theory, research, and applications
(1993) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.30-5870 · Cited by 1,766
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 301–400 of 1,091
Perchtold‐Stefan, C. M., Rominger, C., Papousek, I., & Fink, A. (2022) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148201 · Cited by 22
“Previous research found these cortical sites and especially the increase of their functional coupling meaningfully related to creative cognition (Beaty et al., 2016; Fink & Benedek, 2014; Jausovec, 2000; Petsche, 1996; Pidgeon et al., 2016; Rominger et al., 2019; Zhou et al., 2018).”
BackgroundTowards a mixed human–machine creativity
Farina, M., Witold Pedrycz, C., & Lavazza, A. (2024) · Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science · doi:10.1007/s41809-024-00146-6 · Cited by 27
“Beaty et al. (2016), for example, suggested that creative thought involves dynamic interactions of large-scale brain systems and argued ‘that the default and executive control networks, which can show an antagonistic relation, tend to cooperate during creative cognition and artistic performance’…”
Hierarchical dynamics of informational patterns and decision-making
Varona, P., & Rabinovich, M. I. (2016) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.0475 · Cited by 25
“In fact, our creativity is a binding process between goal-generated and free thoughts [72].”
BackgroundResting-State Fluctuations Underlie Free and Creative Verbal Behaviors in the Human Brain
Broday-Dvir, R., & Malach, R. (2020) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhaa221 · Cited by 21
Inner Hemispheric and Interhemispheric Connectivity Balance in the Human Brain
Krupnik, R., Yovel, Y., & Assaf, Y. (2021) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1074-21.2021 · Cited by 24
The After-Glow of Flow: Neural Correlates of Flow in Musicians
Tan, J. S., Luft, C. D. B., & Bhattacharya, J. (2023) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2023.2277042 · Cited by 23
“In addition, Beaty, Benedek, Silvia, and Schacter (2016) have proposed a framework suggesting that a coupling between the DMN and the frontoparietal control network allows for a complex interplay of processes during creative tasks, involving both bottom-up generative and top-down evaluative…”
Creativity Research: More Studies, Greater Sophistication and the Importance of “Big” Questions
Ward, T. B., & Kennedy, E. (2017) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/jocb.192 · Cited by 21
Towards a standard model of musical improvisation
Faber, S. E. M., & McIntosh, A. R. (2019) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/ejn.14567 · Cited by 22
Zhang, Z., Liu, L., Li, Y., Tan, T., Niki, K., & Luo, J. (2020) · Hippocampus · doi:10.1002/hipo.23253 · Cited by 21
“In addition, large-scale studies also revealed the function of the default and the cognitive control networks in supporting ideation and implementing the top-down monitoring of thinking (Beaty et al., 2016; 2017).”
BackgroundThe Order - Chaos Dynamic of Creativity
Lambert, P. A. (2020) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2020.1821562 · Cited by 21
Impact of Physical Activity on an Individual’s Creativity: A Day-Level Analysis
Bollimbala, A., James, P. S., & Ganguli, S. (2021) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.5406/amerjpsyc.134.1.0093 · Cited by 22
Xu, S., Li, Y., & Liu, J. (2021) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhab182 · Cited by 20
Qiao, X., Lu, K., Teng, J., Gao, Z., & Hao, N. (2022) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2022.2038261 · Cited by 23
“Previous studies have shown that creativity is related to the PFC and r-TPJ (Beaty et al., 2016; Heinonen et al., 2016), and these were selected as ROIs.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSacheli, L. M., Tomasetig, G., Musco, M. A., Pizzi, S., Bottini, G., Pizzamiglio, L., & Paulesu, E. (2022) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104768 · Cited by 26
Brain network profiling defines functionally specialized cortical networks
Plinio, S. D., & Ebisch, S. J. H. (2018) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.24315 · Cited by 16
“…involvement of DMN regions in narrative comprehension (Simony, Honey, Chen, et al., 2016) and, together with limbic regions, in creative processes (Beaty, Benedek, Silvia, & Schacter, 2017; Shi, Cao, Chen, Zhuang, & Qiu, 2017) as well as in the decoding of emotions conveyed by music (Bashwiner,…”
BackgroundTrust the Process: A New Scientific Outlook on Psychodramatic Spontaneity Training
Yaniv, D. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02083 · Cited by 24
Fostering creative minds: what predicts and boosts design competence in the classroom?
Tran, K. N., Kudrowitz, B. M., & Koutstaal, W. (2020) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-020-09598-7 · Cited by 28
The human reward system encodes the subjective value of ideas during creative thinking
Moreno-Rodriguez, S., Béranger, B., Volle, E., & Lopez‐Persem, A. (2025) · Communications Biology · doi:10.1038/s42003-024-07427-4 · Cited by 27
“On the contrary, in the context of creativity, their cooperation has been widely observed and appears to be essential for creative thinking and performance 28,40,45 – 47 .”
Rodríguez‐Negro, J., & Yanci, J. (2021) · Educational Psychology · doi:10.1080/01443410.2021.1988059 · Cited by 21
“Cognitive functions, as creative thought, involves dynamic interactions of large-scale brain systems (Beaty et al., 2016), so brain changes after physical exercise may cause the improvements in the cognitive functions.”
BackgroundUsing in vivo functional and structural connectivity to predict chronic stroke aphasia deficits
Zhao, Y., Cox, C. R., Ralph, M. A. L., & Halai, A. D. (2022) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awac388 · Cited by 22
Amygdala‐frontoparietal effective connectivity in creativity and humor processing
Chan, Y., Zeitlen, D. C., & Beaty, R. E. (2023) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.26232 · Cited by 19
“Additionally, the left precuneus, as part of a core hub of the DMN, has also been associated with both idea generation and evaluation (Beaty et al., 2016).”
BackgroundSelf-citationManaging Your Muse: Exploring Three Levels of Metacognitive Control in Creative Ideation
Benedek, M., & Lebuda, I. (2024) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2024.2347770 · Cited by 24
“…2014; Gilhooly & Fioratou, 2009; Zabelina, Friedman, & Andrews-Hanna, 2019) and neuroscientific findings highlighting the relevance of the executive control network (Beaty, Benedek, Silvia, & Schacter, 2016; Ovando-Tellez et al., 2022; for reviews, see; Benedek & Jauk, 2018, 2019; Chrysikou, 2018).”
Self-citationHow neuroscience can inform the study of individual differences in cognitive abilities
McFarland, D. J. (2017) · Reviews in the Neurosciences · doi:10.1515/revneuro-2016-0073 · Cited by 23
“However the default and executive networks may cooperate during creative cognition (Beaty et al., 2016).”
Elimari, N., & Lafargue, G. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.545632 · Cited by 21
Daikoku, T., Wiggins, G. A., & Nagai, Y. (2021) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2021.640412 · Cited by 17
Synchronised neural signature of creative mental imagery in reality and augmented reality
Giannopulu, I., Brotto, G., Lee, T.-J., Frangos, A. S., & To, D. (2022) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09017 · Cited by 19
“Such findings are consistent with recent models describing a posterior-anterior gradient in the abstract expression of the mental representations that can be formed [22, 51, 88, 89].”
ResultBecker, M., & Cabeza, R. E. L. (2022) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/s13428-021-01773-5 · Cited by 23
Brain Connectivity-Based Prediction of Combining Remote Semantic Associates for Creative Thinking
Ovando‐Tellez, M., Kenett, Y. N., Benedek, M., Bernard, M., Belo, J., Béranger, B., Bieth, T., & Volle, E. (2023) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2023.2192563 · Cited by 18
Self-citationSpee, B. T. M., Mikuni, J., Leder, H., Scharnowski, F., Pelowski, M. J., & Steyrl, D. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-39865-1 · Cited by 23
Neural, genetic, and cognitive signatures of creativity
Liu, C., Zhuang, K., Zeitlen, D. C., Chen, Q., Wang, X., Feng, Q., Beaty, R. E., & Qiu, J. (2024) · Communications Biology · doi:10.1038/s42003-024-07007-6 · Cited by 26
Self-citationYasuno, F., Kudo, T., Yamamoto, A., Matsuoka, K., Takahashi, M., Iida, H., Ihara, M., Nagatsuka, K., & Kishimoto, T. (2017) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00411 · Cited by 19
The neural bases of creativity and intelligence: common ground and differences
Benedek, M., Jung, R. E., & Vartanian, O. A. (2018) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.09.006 · Cited by 19
Self-citationA Consideration of the Seven Sins of Memory in the Context of Creative Cognition
Ditta, A. S., & Storm, B. C. (2018) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2018.1530914 · Cited by 19
Functional brain segregation changes during demanding mathematical task
Ghaderi, A. H., Nazari, M. A., & Darooneh, A. H. (2019) · International Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/00207454.2019.1586688 · Cited by 18
Sun, J., Zhang, Q., Li, Y., Meng, J., Chen, Q., Yang, W., Wei, D., & Qiu, J. (2019) · Brain Imaging and Behavior · doi:10.1007/s11682-019-00077-9 · Cited by 20
“Our finding is consistent with previous studies emphasizing the role of brain networks in creative processes (Beaty et al. 2016; Jung et al. 2013; Sun et al. 2019).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialEEG alpha activity is moderated by the serial order effect during divergent thinking
Kraus, B. T., Cadle, C. E., & Simon-Dack, S. L. (2019) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.04.003 · Cited by 19
Cortical correlates of creative thinking assessed by the figural Torrance Test of Creative Thinking
Hahm, J., Kim, K. K., & Park, S.-H. (2019) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/wnr.0000000000001358 · Cited by 22
Huang, J., Wang, M., Xu, X., Jie, B., & Zhang, D. (2020) · Medical Image Analysis · doi:10.1016/j.media.2020.101755 · Cited by 19
Gotlieb, R. J. M., Yang, X., & Immordino‐Yang, M. H. (2021) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsab108 · Cited by 20
Gender differences in parieto‐frontal brain functional connectivity correlates of creativity
Silberstein, R. B., Camfield, D., Nield, G., & Stough, C. K. K. (2019) · Brain and Behavior · doi:10.1002/brb3.1196 · Cited by 19
Creative thinking and brain network development in schoolchildren
Duval, P. E., Fornari, E., Décaillet, M., Ledoux, J., Beaty, R. E., & Denervaud, S. (2023) · Developmental Science · doi:10.1111/desc.13389 · Cited by 15
Self-citationBeyond Cognitive Load Theory: Why Learning Needs More than Memory Management
Sortwell, A., Gkintoni, E., Díaz-García, J., Ellerton, P., Ferraz, R., & Hine, G. (2026) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci16010109 · Cited by 20
“Furthermore, activity within the DMN has been associated with creative thinking, insight problem-solving, and novel idea generation [60].”
van Dijk, M., Blom, E., Kroesbergen, E. H., & Leseman, P. P. M. (2020) · Journal of Intelligence · doi:10.3390/jintelligence8040037 · Cited by 20
“…framework outlined here pertains to perceptual processing guided by outward-directed attention, we assume that similar processes can take place based on imagination or mental simulation, guided by an inward-directed focus of attention (Beaty et al. 2016; McClelland 2020; Van Dijk et al. 2018).”
MethodDivergent Thinking Influences the Perception of Ambiguous Visual Illusions
Blake, A., & Palmisano, S. A. (2021) · Perception · doi:10.1177/03010066211000192 · Cited by 18
“Studies have also shown that skilled divergent thinkers exhibit diminished executive control, a broader attentional field and increased exploratory eye behaviours (Beaty et al., 2016; Chamberlain et al., 2018; Ogawa et al., 2018; Walcher et al., 2017).”
BackgroundChen, Q., He, R., Sun, J., Ding, K., Wang, X., He, L., Zhuang, K., Lloyd-Cox, J., & Qiu, J. (2023) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108487 · Cited by 18
Hughes, Z. D., Ball, L. J., Richardson, C., & Judge, J. (2023) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-023-02327-w · Cited by 23
“Cognitive switching between the ECN for idea evaluation and the DMN for idea generation, allows for enhanced divergent thinking ability (Beaty et al., 2016, 2018), further highlighting the key role of the ECN, at least in respect to divergent thinking.”
BackgroundGhaderi, A., Brown, E. C., Clark, D., Ramasubbu, R., Kiss, Z. H. T., & Protzner, A. B. (2023) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41380-023-02181-1 · Cited by 20
“However, this study examined different connectivity measures between speci fi c regions (i.e., frontal and parietal) and did not investigate the whole-brain network.”
Time course of EEG power during creative problem‐solving with insight or remote thinking
Bieth, T., Ovando‐Tellez, M., Lopez‐Persem, A., Garcin, B., Hugueville, L., Lehongre, K., Lévy, R., George, N., & Volle, E. (2023) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.26547 · Cited by 19
“Consistent with this interpretation, the central contribution of executive and memory processes in creativity is now well established (Beaty et al., 2016; Benedek & Fink, 2019; Benedek & Jauk, 2018; Cassotti et al., 2016; Volle, 2017).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialNeurocognitive, social cognitive, and clinical predictors of creativity in schizophrenia
Sampedro, A., Peña, J., Ibarretxe‐Bilbao, N., Sánchez, P., Iriarte‐Yoller, N., Pavón, C., Hervella, I., Tous‐Espelosin, M., & Ojeda, N. (2020) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.06.019 · Cited by 20
Creativity is Undefinable, Controllable, and Everywhere
Silvia, P. J. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108185936.021 · Cited by 18
Self-citationThe Neuroscience of Musical Creativity
Bashwiner, D. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316556238.029 · Cited by 26
Artificial Intelligence and the Internal Processes of Creativity
Aru, J. (2025) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/jocb.1530 · Cited by 27
White, H. A. (2018) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/jocb.382 · Cited by 24
“Neuroimaging studies have identified brain networks common to ADHD pathology (Castellanos & Proal, 2012; Castellanos et al., 2008) and creative cognition (Beaty et al., 2016).”
BackgroundYeh, Y., Hsu, W.-C., & Yastrubinskiy, E. (2020) · Thinking Skills and Creativity · doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100756 · Cited by 17
Utilizing EEG to Explore Design Fixation during Creative Idea Generation
Cao, J., Zhao, W., & Guo, X. (2021) · Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience · doi:10.1155/2021/6619598 · Cited by 17
“Consistent with the findings of previous neural findings [19, 24, 35], the electrophysiological results in the present study revealed that task-related alpha-band activity patterns were significantly different in participants with different degrees of design fixation during creative idea generation.”
ResultSun, J., He, L., Chen, Q., Yang, W., Wei, D., & Qiu, J. (2021) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.25693 · Cited by 18
“During a creative task, individuals need to focus their attention on idea generation to generate original ideas (Beaty et al., 2016).”
BackgroundExploring neural correlates of behavioral and academic resilience among children in poverty
Ellwood-Lowe, M., Irving, C., & Bunge, S. (2022) · bioRxiv · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101090 · Cited by 12
Different Music Training Modulates Theta Brain Oscillations Associated with Executive Function
Wang, J., Xu, R., Guo, X., Guo, S., Zhou, J., Lü, J., & Yao, D. (2022) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci12101304 · Cited by 18
Exploring the behavioral and neural correlates of semantic distance in creative writing
Li, F., Zhuang, K., Wang, X., Zhang, J., Liu, C., Gu, J., & Qiu, J. (2022) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.14239 · Cited by 20
Creative connections: the neural correlates of semantic relatedness are associated with creativity
Hérault, C., Ovando‐Tellez, M., Lebuda, I., Kenett, Y. N., Béranger, B., Benedek, M., & Volle, E. (2024) · Communications Biology · doi:10.1038/s42003-024-06493-y · Cited by 25
“The DMN is associated with associative thinking subserving idea generation whereas the ECN is involved in idea evaluation, manipulation, and modi fi cation of ideas to meet the constraints of the creative tasks 46,48 .”
BackgroundSelf-citationJin, Z., Yin, J., Pan, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, Y., Xu, X., & Luo, J. (2024) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120757 · Cited by 20
“Effective cognitive strategies have been found to facilitate the generation of creative ideas (Beaty et al., 2014, 2016).”
BackgroundBrainstorming: Interbrain coupling in groups forms the basis of group creativity
Pick, H., Fahoum, N., Zoabi, D., & Shamay‐Tsoory, S. (2024) · Communications Biology · doi:10.1038/s42003-024-06614-7 · Cited by 20
Evaluar la creatividad y las funciones ejecutivas: propuesta para la escuela del futuro
Sánchez–Macías, I., Rodríguez‐Medina, J., & Herguedas, J. L. A. (2021) · Revista Electrónica Interuniversitaria de Formación del Profesorado · doi:10.6018/reifop.456041 · Cited by 36
“…respecto, convierte la realización de las actividades no solo en un reto a desarrollar que despierta la curiosidad y la autonomía para abordarlas (Beaty et al., 2016), sino la creatividad para buscar múltiples opciones de respuesta, alternativas, que activan el pensamiento divergente (Marta et…”
BackgroundO’Mara, S. M. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654122 · Cited by 16
Sampedro, A., Peña, J., Ibarretxe‐Bilbao, N., Sánchez, P., Iriarte‐Yoller, N., Ledesma‐González, S., Tous‐Espelosin, M., & Ojeda, N. (2019) · Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences · doi:10.1111/pcn.12954 · Cited by 22
Mapping Neuroimaging Findings of Creativity and Brain Disease Onto a Common Brain Circuit
Kutsche, J., Taylor, J. J., Erkkinen, M. G., Akkad, H., Khosravani, S., Drew, W., Abraham, A., Ott, D. V. M., Wall, J., Cohen, A. L., et al. (2025) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.59297 · Cited by 16
Linking functional connectome gradient to individual creativity
Huo, T., Xia, Y., Zhuang, K., Chen, Q., Sun, J., Yang, W., & Qiu, J. (2022) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhac013 · Cited by 15
Li, Y., Beaty, R. E., Luchini, S. A., et al. (2022) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2022.2068297 · Cited by 16
“…allow participants to be more effective at suppressing inappropriate or more obvious ideas, redirecting search processes toward task-relevant goals, and ultimately selecting optimal responses at a faster rate (Beaty et al., 2016; Beaty & Silvia, 2012; Beaty, Silvia, Nusbaum, Jauk, & Benedek, 2014).”
BackgroundSelf-citationPeña, J., Sampedro, A., Balboa-Bandeira, Y., Ibarretxe‐Bilbao, N., Zubiaurre‐Elorza, L., García‐Guerrero, M. A., & Ojeda, N. (2022) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2022.997445 · Cited by 17
Li, Y., Emin, M., Zhou, Q., Zhang, J., & Hu, W. (2023) · Future in Educational Research · doi:10.1002/fer3.14 · Cited by 18
Weaving a Colorful Cloth: Centering Education on Humans’ Emergent Developmental Potentials
Immordino‐Yang, M. H., Nasir, N. S., Cantor, P., & Yoshikawa, H. (2023) · Review of Research in Education · doi:10.3102/0091732x231223516 · Cited by 32
“These neural processes are also central, then, to the invention of new technologies, contexts, and ideas (Beaty et al., 2016) because they enable individuals to connect their here-and-now self to bigger ideas, values, identities, and understandings that transcend contexts.”
BackgroundRominger, C., Papousek, I., Fink, A., Perchtold‐Stefan, C. M., Lackner, H. K., Weiss, E. M., & Schwerdtfeger, A. R. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0220205 · Cited by 16
Wu, C., & Chen, H. (2021) · Thinking Skills and Creativity · doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100829 · Cited by 15
The neural basis of creative production: A cross-modal ALE meta-analysis
Brown, S., & Kim, E. (2021) · Open Psychology · doi:10.1515/psych-2020-0114 · Cited by 19
Saggar, M., Emmanuelle Volle, C., Uddin, L. Q., Chrysikou, E. G., & Green, A. E. (2021) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117836 · Cited by 16
“…within better-established aspects of cognition, such as semantic and autobio-graphical memory, attention, mentalization, and cognitive control, e.g., ( Beaty et al. 2016 ; Chrysikou 2018 ; 2019 ; Kenett et al. 2018 ; Volle 2018 ; Zabelina and Andrews-Hanna 2016 ; Xie et al. 2021 ; Abraham 2014 ).”
The role of the default mode network in creativity
Luchini, S. A., Emmanuelle Volle, C., & Beaty, R. E. (2025) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2025.101551 · Cited by 16
Self-citationPositive associations between media multitasking and creativity
Loh, K. K., & Lim, S. W. H. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior Reports · doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2020.100015 · Cited by 19
Bauer, P. R., Sabourdy, C., Chatard, B., Rheims, S., Lachaux, J.-P., Vidal, J. R., & Antoine Lutz, A. (2021) · Neuroscience Letters · doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136345 · Cited by 16
Thought Dynamics: Which Role for Mind Wandering in Creativity?
Vannucci, M., & Agnoli, S. (2019) · Creativity theory and action in education · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-99163-4_14 · Cited by 20
Lifshitz‐Ben‐Basat, A., & Mashal, N. (2021) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-020-06023-2 · Cited by 15
Blending oxytocin and dopamine with everyday creativity
Chong, A., Tolomeo, S., Yue, X., Angeles, D. C., Cheung, M. W. ‐., Becker, B., Lai, P. S., Lei, Z., Malavasi, F., Tang, Q., et al. (2021) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-95724-x · Cited by 16
Huang, F., Song, Y., Jiang, Y., Zhao, Q., & Luo, J. (2021) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhab261 · Cited by 15
Kaur, Y., Weiss, S., Zhou, C., Fischer, R., & Hildebrandt, A. (2021) · Journal of Intelligence · doi:10.3390/jintelligence9040059 · Cited by 16
“…inferior parietal regions considered to facilitate the self-referential thought process, introspection, and imagination, whereas the latter consists of lateral prefrontal and anterior inferior parietal regions underlying externally focused attention and inhibitory control (Beaty et al. 2015, 2016).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialCreativity in an Affective Context
Perchtold‐Stefan, C. M., Papousek, I., Rominger, C., & Fink, A. (2021) · European Psychologist · doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000448 · Cited by 17
Xie, C., Luchini, S. A., Beaty, R. E., Du, Y., Liu, C., & Li, Y. (2022) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2022.2108265 · Cited by 18
“These dynamically engaged cognitive features may then underpin the cognitive flexibility required to switch attention between goal-directed and self-generated thought, which is considered a core cognitive component of creative thinking (Beaty et al., 2016).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationThe dynamics of the improvising brain: a study of musical creativity using jazz improvisationPreprint
Mota, P. A. D., Fernandes, H. M., Stark, E. A., Cabral, J., Heggli, O. A., Sousa, N., Kringelbach, M. L., & Vuust, P. (2020) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2020.01.29.924415 · Cited by 13
Changes of creative ability and underlying brain network connectivity throughout the lifespan
Kruse, J. A., Martin, C., Hamlin, N., Slattery, E., Moriarty, E. M., Horne, L. K., Ozkalp-Poincloux, B., Camarda, A., White, S. F., Oleson, J., et al. (2023) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2023.105975 · Cited by 17
Tao, R., Zhang, H., Geng, L., Li, Y., & Qiu, J. (2024) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15010018 · Cited by 14
“In this study, we explore creativity by focusing on its behavioral manifestations, examining how both internal traits and situational factors shape creative behavior (Beaty et al., 2016; Beaty et al., 2019).”
Systemic Creative Problem-Solving: On the Poverty of Ideas and the Generative Power of Prototyping
Vallée‐Tourangeau, F. (2025) · Systems · doi:10.3390/systems13030150 · Cited by 14
Mantra Meditation Suppression of Default Mode Beyond an Active Task: a Pilot Study
Simon, R. A., Pihlsgård, J., Berglind, U., Söderfeldt, B. A., & Engström, M. (2017) · Journal of Cognitive Enhancement · doi:10.1007/s41465-017-0028-1 · Cited by 16
“Whereas in fMRI experiments where task-conditions are compared to rest, activity in the DMN has been shown to fluctuate in response to goal-directed behavior (Biswal et al. 1995; Shulman et al. 1997; Fox and Raichle 2007; Beaty et al. 2017; Seli et al. 2016).”
BackgroundHao, X., Geng, F., Wang, T., Hu, Y., & Huang, K. (2021) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.08.015 · Cited by 16
He, Y., Wang, X., Lu, K., & Hao, N. (2023) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhac524 · Cited by 16
The light side of gaming: creativity and brain plasticity
Ganter-Argast, C., Schipper, M., Shamsrizi, M., Stein, C., & Khalil, R. (2024) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1280989 · Cited by 18
‘Proactive’ use of cue-context congruence for building reinforcement learning’s reward function
Zsuga, J., Bíró, K., Tajti, G., Szilasi, M. E., Papp, C., Juhász, B., & Gesztelyi, R. (2016) · BMC Neuroscience · doi:10.1186/s12868-016-0302-7 · Cited by 13
“Former reports have implicated cognitive efforts [7] or supervised learning as possible mechanisms for updates, nonetheless further insight is needed.”
BackgroundTakeuchi, H., Taki, Y., Matsudaira, I. Y., Ikeda, S., Kawata, K. H. D. S., Nouchi, R., Sakaki, K., Nakagawa, S., Nozawa, T., Yokota, S., et al. (2020) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116577 · Cited by 16
Hu, M., Shealy, T., Milovanovic, J., & Gero, J. S. (2021) · International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation · doi:10.1080/21650349.2021.1976678 · Cited by 14
“Prior work in design cognition for creativity focused on brain coordination between different regions (Beaty et al., 2016; Kowatari et al., 2009).”
BackgroundWang, Y., Guo, X., Wang, M., Kan, Y., Zhang, H., Zhao, H., Wu, M., & Duan, H. (2021) · International Journal of Psychophysiology · doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.11.001 · Cited by 17
Neural Representations of Conceptual Fixation during Creative Imagination
Frith, E., Gerver, C. R., Benedek, M., Christensen, A. P., & Beaty, R. E. (2022) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2021.2008699 · Cited by 16
“…processes, such as attention regulation and selection of candidate responses that satisfy task demands (Beaty, Benedek, Kaufman, & Silvia, 2015; Beaty et al., 2016; Shen et al., 2020; Spreng, Stevens, Chamberlain, Gilmore, & Schacter, 2010), default network regions are often recruited during…”
BackgroundSelf-citationThe dynamics of resting-state alpha oscillations predict individual differences in creativity
Prent, N., & Smit, D. J. A. (2020) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107456 · Cited by 16
Creativity and Cognitive Control in the Cognitive and Affective Domains
Fink, A., Perchtold‐Stefan, C. M., & Rominger, C. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316556238.019 · Cited by 17
Metadata
- Authors
- Beaty, R. E., Benedek, M., Silvia, P. J., & Schacter, D. L.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (US)
- University of Graz (AT)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Beaty, Roger E.
- Venue
- Trends in Cognitive Sciences
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-02
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 87-95
- ISSN
- 1364-6613 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4724474
- OpenAlex
- W2148406463
- Cited by
- 1,105
- References
- 76
- Citations by year
- 2026: 130 · 2025: 134 · 2024: 100 · 2023: 130 · 2022: 99 · 2021: 117 · 2020: 118 · 2019: 99 · 2018: 93 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 34
- FWCI
- 7.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Trends in Cognitive Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01ag008441-30)
- National Institute on Aging (R01-AG008441, R01AG08441)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH060941)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Cognitive Science and Education Research
- Keywords
- creative cognition, creative thinking, brain network dynamics, default mode network, frontoparietal network, divergent thinking, poetry composition, musical improvisation, self-generated thought, artistic performance
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Cognition, Creativity, Humans, Neural Pathways, Thinking
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