EEG alpha asymmetry and creativity

Results of 3 experiments examining the relationship between creativity and left-hemisphere and right-hemisphere EEG activity are reported. Creativity has been hypothesized to involve the use of primary-process cognition, and such cognition is hypothetically accompanied by activation of the right cer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Personality and individual differences 1984, Vol.5 (1), p.77-86
Main Authors: Martindale, Colin, Hines, Dwight, Mitchell, Linda, Covello, Edward
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
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Summary:Results of 3 experiments examining the relationship between creativity and left-hemisphere and right-hemisphere EEG activity are reported. Creativity has been hypothesized to involve the use of primary-process cognition, and such cognition is hypothetically accompanied by activation of the right cerebral hemisphere. In light of these hypotheses, we predicted that highly-creative people should exhibit greater right-hemisphere than left-hemisphere EEG activity during creative performance and that this pattern would not be found in less-creative people. All 3 experiments supported this prediction. This difference in asymmetry was specific to creative performance. It was not present during basal recordings or during a non-creative task.
ISSN:0191-8869
1873-3549
DOI:10.1016/0191-8869(84)90140-5