Alpha oscillatory evidence for shared underlying mechanisms of creativity and fluid intelligence above and beyond working memory-related activity

• Published in: Intelligence (Norwood) 2022-03, Vol.91, p.101630, Article 101630
• Main Authors: Eymann, Vera, Beck, Ann-Kathrin, Jaarsveld, Saskia, Lachmann, Thomas, Czernochowski, Daniela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alpha desynchronization; Cognition & reasoning; Creativity; EEG; Fluid intelligence; Fronto-parietal control network; Intelligence; Mathematical problems; Matrices; Problem solving; Short term memory; Stimulus; Synchronization
• ISSN: 0160-2896; 1873-7935
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101630

Although the relationship between creativity and fluid intelligence has been studied extensively with divergent and convergent thinking tasks, the underlying neural mechanisms of this relationship are still under debate. As both have been associated to working memory (WM), the question arises if there are shared underlying mechanisms for creativity and fluid intelligence other than WM-related activity. The present study examined how creativity and fluid intelligence, as measured by the creative reasoning task (CRT) and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM), respectively, are characterized by modulations in the upper alpha band (10–12 Hz) and if they share common mechanisms beyond the requirement to maintain information in WM. Hence, we subtracted WM-related activity, measured within the same knowledge domain and by using highly comparable stimulus material, from both divergent and convergent thinking activity. Furthermore, to account for the temporal variability in the creative process, we investigated divergent and convergent thinking at early, intermediate and late stages. By introducing this methodological approach, we provide evidence for a higher fronto-parietal alpha synchronization in divergent relative to convergent thinking, especially towards the end of the thinking phase. Furthermore, we provide evidence that creativity and fluid intelligence share underlying mechanisms above and beyond task demands that rely on WM processes. •We assess creativity, fluid intelligence and working memory using EEG oscillations.•All processes were measured within the same knowledge domain.•We removed WM activity due to shared WM task demands in APM and CRT.•Alpha synchronized during divergent and desynchronized during convergent thinking.