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Cited by 68Memory Processes and InfluencesCreativity in Education and NeuroscienceCognitive Functions and Memory

Forgetting as a consequence and enabler of creative thinking

Storm, Benjamin C., Patel, Trisha N.·2014·Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
DOI 10.1037/xlm0000006
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Abstract

Four experiments examined the interplay of memory and creative cognition, showing that attempting to think of new uses for an object can cause the forgetting of old uses. Specifically, using an adapted version of the Alternative Uses Task (Guilford, 1957), participants studied several uses for a variety of common household objects before attempting to generate new uses for half of those objects. As revealed by performance on a final cued-recall task, attempting to generate new uses caused participants to forget the studied uses. This thinking-induced forgetting effect was observed regardless of whether participants attempted to generate unusual uses or common uses, but failed to emerge when participants used the studied uses as hints to guide their generation of new uses. Additionally, the forgetting effect correlated with individual differences in creativity such that participants who exhibited more forgetting generated more creative uses than participants who exhibited less forgetting. These findings indicate that thinking can cause forgetting and that such forgetting may contribute to the ability to think creatively.

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  • Episodic memories are sometimes drawn upon during divergent thinking.

    “episodic memories are sometimes drawn upon during divergent thinking (Gilhooly et al. 2007;Runco and Acar 2010;Storm and Patel 2014);”

    From Neural Mechanisms of Episodic Retrieval Support Divergent Creative Thinking (2019) · cites this paper as Storm and Patel 2014

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Authors
Storm, B. C., & Patel, T. N.
Affiliations
University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2014
Volume
40
Issue
6
Pages
1594-1609
ISSN
  • 0278-7393 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1285
DOI
10.1037/xlm0000006
OpenAlex
W2098166015
Cited by
68
References
142
Citations by year
2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 3
FWCI
4.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
Keywords
creative thinking, memory and creativity, alternative uses task, cued recall, individual differences in creativity, common use
MeSH terms
Cognition, Creativity, Cues, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Memory, Psychological Tests, Thinking, Young Adult

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