The neuroscience of musical improvisation

Beaty, Roger E.

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.01.004

Cited by 183 publications

(178 citation statements)

References 94 publications

(187 reference statements)

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“…Future research should examine functional connections among brain regions during other creative thinking tasks and in relation to creative performance in specific domains, such as musical improvisation74. This approach would shed light on whether connectivity between default and executive networks is exclusive to divergent thinking, or whether such connectivity reflects a domain–general network underlying a range of creative thought processes.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Default and Executive Network Coupling Supports Creative Idea Production

Beaty

Benedek

Kaufman

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

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540

411

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The role of attention in creative cognition remains controversial. Neuroimaging studies have reported activation of brain regions linked to both cognitive control and spontaneous imaginative processes, raising questions about how these regions interact to support creative thought. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we explored this question by examining dynamic interactions between brain regions during a divergent thinking task. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed a distributed network associated with divergent thinking, including several core hubs of the default (posterior cingulate) and executive (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) networks. The resting-state network affiliation of these regions was confirmed using data from an independent sample of participants. Graph theory analysis assessed global efficiency of the divergent thinking network, and network efficiency was found to increase as a function of individual differences in divergent thinking ability. Moreover, temporal connectivity analysis revealed increased coupling between default and salience network regions (bilateral insula) at the beginning of the task, followed by increased coupling between default and executive network regions at later stages. Such dynamic coupling suggests that divergent thinking involves cooperation between brain networks linked to cognitive control and spontaneous thought, which may reflect focused internal attention and the top-down control of spontaneous cognition during creative idea production.

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Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Default and Executive Network Coupling Supports Creative Idea Production

Beaty

Benedek

Kaufman

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

Self Cite

540

411

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In fact, differential learning provides a highly improvisation demand, one of the most complex forms of creative behavior. Research refers that improvisation is a learnable skill that requires a considerable amount of training (Beaty, 2015). Besides, the framework argues that training for improvisation is associated with a releasing effect, appreciated in creative behavior (Sawyer, 2000; Fink and Woschnjak, 2011; Kleinmintz et al, 2014).…”

Section: Differential Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Spawns of Creative Behavior in Team Sports: A Creativity Developmental Framework

et al. 2016

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Developing creativity in team sports players is becoming an increasing focus in sports sciences. The Creativity Developmental Framework is presented to provide an updated science based background. This Framework describes five incremental creative stages (beginner, explorer, illuminati, creator, and rise) and combines them into multidisciplinary approaches embodied in creative assumptions. In the first training stages, the emphasis is placed on the enrollment in diversification, deliberate play and physical literacy approaches grounded in nonlinear pedagogies. These approaches allow more freedom to discover different movement patterns increasing the likelihood of emerging novel, adaptive and functional solutions. In the later stages, the progressive specialization in sports and the differential learning commitment are extremely important to push the limits of the creative progress at higher levels of performance by increasing the range of skills configurations. Notwithstanding, during all developmental stages the teaching games for understanding, a game-centered approach, linked with the constraints-led approach play an important role to boost the tactical creative behavior. Both perspectives might encourage players to explore all actions possibilities (improving divergent thinking) and prevents the standardization in their actions. Overall, considering the aforementioned practice conditions the Creativity Developmental Framework scrutinizes the main directions that lead to a long-term improvement of the creative behavior in team sports. Nevertheless, this framework should be seen as a work in progress to be later used as the paramount reference in creativity training.

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“…Further, we were interested to see if these benefits could be realised after just one session of improvisation, as suggested by the co-activation of specific brain areas by both divergent thinking and (musical) improvisation (Beaty, 2015). Finally, we were interested to know whether any benefits of improvisation transferred to divergent thinking in another modality.…”

Section: Experiments 1: the Effect Of Dance Improvisation On Divergentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improvisation facilitates divergent thinking and creativity: Realizing a benefit of primary school arts education.

Sowden

Clements

Redlich

et al. 2015

Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts

115

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The benefit of arts education for cultural engagement, wider academic achievement, and as a contributor to the creative economy is a subject of significant debate. In the present work we focus on the potential for simple arts-based improvisation activities to enhance divergent thinking skills and creativity in primary school age children. In a first experiment we compared the effect of children taking part in an improvised vs. non-improvised dance class on their subsequent performance on the Instances Task (Wallach & Kogan, 1965) and on a creative 'toy' design task. In a second experiment children took part in verbal and acting improvisation games or in matched control games before completing figural activity 1 of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Torrance, 1974). In both experiments we found that children who took part in the improvisation interventions showed better divergent thinking and creativity after the intervention. Our findings suggest that simple, arts-based improvisation interventions could have domain general benefits for creative cognition processes. Further, they indicate one way in which simply making better use of existing arts education provision could provide a cost-effective way to increase creativity relevant skills in primary school children. We consider putative mechanisms for the improvisation effects and specify directions for future work.

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The neuroscience of musical improvisation

Cited by 183 publications

References 94 publications

Default and Executive Network Coupling Supports Creative Idea Production

Default and Executive Network Coupling Supports Creative Idea Production

The Spawns of Creative Behavior in Team Sports: A Creativity Developmental Framework

Improvisation facilitates divergent thinking and creativity: Realizing a benefit of primary school arts education.

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