Divergent thinking (DT) is considered as an indicator of creative potential and a predictor of creative achievement. Furthermore, it is also conceptualized as an indicator of cognitive reserve (CR) in healthy elderly. CR refers to a functional benefit that can potentially offer protection against brain pathologies and is thereby considered a protective factor against cognitive decline. Creativity researchers have therefore attempted to understand the impact of the aging processes on DT abilities; however, it is difficult to draw a coherent picture from these studies. The aim of our systematic review was to more consistently summarize and interpret evidence about this topic. We selected 16 studies using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our findings highlight a complex and multidimensional, rather than a simple linear relationship between the aging processes and DT performances, especially if the different DT indexes are considered separately. We also found that findings from more recent studies suggest that older subjects are able to think as divergently as younger people, particularly in the verbal domain, if no time constraints are imposed and if the workload is not too high. We conclude by discussing theoretical and methodological issues and implications for future research.

中文翻译：

---

年龄对发散思维能力的争议影响：系统回顾

发散思维 (DT) 被认为是创造性潜力的指标和创造性成就的预测指标。此外，它还被概念化为健康老年人认知储备 (CR) 的指标。CR 是指一种功能性益处，可以潜在地提供针对大脑病变的保护，因此被认为是防止认知衰退的保护因素。因此，创造力研究人员试图了解衰老过程对 DT 能力的影响；然而，很难从这些研究中得出一个连贯的图景。我们系统评价的目的是更加一致地总结和解释有关该主题的证据。我们使用系统评价和元分析的首选报告项目 (PRISMA) 指南选择了 16 项研究。我们的发现突出了一个复杂且多维的、而不是老化过程和DT性能之间的简单线性关系，特别是如果分别考虑不同的DT指标。我们还发现，最近的研究结果表明，如果没有时间限制并且工作量不太大，年长的受试者能够像年轻人一样发散思维，尤其是在语言领域。我们最后讨论了理论和方法论问题以及对未来研究的影响。如果没有时间限制并且工作量不是太高。我们最后讨论了理论和方法论问题以及对未来研究的影响。如果没有时间限制并且工作量不是太高。我们最后讨论了理论和方法论问题以及对未来研究的影响。