Abstract

Research has independently highlighted the roles of semantic memory and associative abilities in creative thinking. However, it remains unclear how these two capacities relate to each other, nor how they facilitate different creative thinking modalities, such as verbal and figural creativity. This study employed multiple cognitive tests and network science methodologies to shed light on the relationship between them. We constructed individual-based semantic networks and assessed associative abilities, verbal and figural creative thinking. In line with previous studies, we found a relation between verbal creativity and more flexible semantic memory structure (higher connectivity, shorter distances between concepts, and lower modularity). However, we did not find any such relation between figural creativity and semantic memory structure. Associative abilities mediated the relationship between semantic memory structure and verbal creativity, implying the efficient spread of information in semantic memory may facilitate verbal creative thinking via associative abilities. These findings support and extend the associative theory of creativity and shed novel light on the relationship between semantic memory structure, associative abilities, and creativity.

摘要

研究独立强调了语义记忆和联想能力在创造性思维中的作用。但是，目前尚不清楚这两种能力如何相互联系，也不清楚它们如何促进不同的创造性思维方式，例如言语和人物形象的创造力。这项研究采用了多种认知测试和网络科学方法，以阐明它们之间的关系。我们构建了基于个人的语义网络，并评估了联想能力，言语和形象的创造性思维。与以前的研究一致，我们发现了言语创造力与更灵活的语义记忆结构之间的关系（更高的连通性，更短的概念之间的距离以及更低的模块化）。但是，我们没有发现图形创造力和语义记忆结构之间存在任何这种关系。联想能力介导了语义记忆结构与言语创造力之间的关系，这意味着信息在语义记忆中的有效传播可以通过联想能力促进言语创造力思维。这些发现支持并扩展了创造力的联想理论，并为语义记忆结构，联想能力和创造力之间的关系提供了新的思路。