An investigation of the cognitive and neural correlates of semantic memory search related to creative ability

Abstract

Creative ideas likely result from searching and combining semantic memory knowledge, yet the mechanisms acting on memory to yield creative ideas remain unclear. Here, we identified the neurocognitive correlates of semantic search components related to creative abilities. We designed an associative fluency task based on polysemous words and distinguished two search components related to clustering and switching between the different meanings of the polysemous words. Clustering correlated with divergent thinking, while switching correlated with the ability to combine remote associates. Furthermore, switching correlated with semantic memory structure and executive abilities, and was predicted by connectivity between the default, control, and salience neural networks. In contrast, clustering relied on interactions between control, salience, and attentional neural networks. Our results suggest that switching captures interactions between memory structure and control processes guiding the search whereas clustering may capture attentional controlled processes for persistent search, and that alternations between exploratory search and focused attention support creativity.

Bigram semantic distance as an index of continuous semantic flow in natural language: Theory, tools, and applications.

“…Semantic fluency tasks typically involve producing as many exemplars of a given category (e.g., animals) as possible over a fixed interval (Christensen & Kenett, 2021). People commonly employ foraging and other search strategies such as clustering and switching when producing a string of exemplars (Binney, Zuckerman, et al, 2018; Troyer, 2000; Troyer et al, 1998; Ovando-Tellez et al, 2022). For example, a category such as animals might evoke a spontaneous clustering and switching strategy involving house pets switching to jungle animals, marine animals, etc.…”

“…For example, a category such as animals might evoke a spontaneous clustering and switching strategy involving house pets switching to jungle animals, marine animals, etc. Successful verbal fluency, therefore, requires both effective semantic search within categories, as well as fluid executive functioning as needed to flexibly disengage when a particular category has been exhausted (Ovando-Tellez et al, 2022). Verbal fluency has accordingly emerged as one of the most common metrics of executive and semantic processing employed in clinical neuropsychology.…”

How retrieval process mechanisms change with age: exploring individual differences in free recall

“…Although age differences in the size of the mental lexicon are well-documented, an aspect less explored is its structure. significant advances in studying the structure of semantic memory have been achieved over the last several years via the application of network science methodology (Baronchelli et al, 2013;Borge-Holthoefer & Arenas, 2010;Ovando-Tellez, Benedek, Kenett, Hills, Bouanane, Bernard, et al, 2022;Siew et al, 2019). Network science offers quantitative methods to represent complex systems, such as semantic memory, as a network that is comprised of nodes (the components of the system, like concepts in memory) and edges representing the relations between the nodes (e.g., semantic similarity; Siew et al, 2019).…”

Free association ability distinguishes highly creative artists from scientists: Findings from the Big-C Project.

“…The associative theory of creativity, proposed by S. Mednick (1962), postulates that creativity relies on the structural characteristics of semantic memory—mental storage for knowledge and concepts—which constrains the processes governing mental navigation (i.e., search) when connecting remote concepts to generate ideas (He et al, 2020; Kenett & Faust, 2019; Ovando-Tellez, 2022; R. Beaty & Kenett, 2020; Volle, 2018).…”