Exciting Reserach

I found a terrifically helpful and useful article that provides an overview of the EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging data on creativity.

Dietrich, A. & Kanso, R. (2010). A review of EEG, ERP, and Neuroimaging studies of
creativity and insight. Psychological Bulletin, 136(5), 822-848.

What a great help such an overview can be. In addition to summarizing a great deal of the literature and studies I will need for my dissertation, the authors help lift me out of the hazy uncertainty of the role of alpha band and the increase in activity versus decrease in activity debate. How was this achieved? First of all, by concluding the pre existing data is inconclusive. The authors stress the many different types of creativity and individual differences of each person require that “Creativity research must…look at individual processes” (p. 845). In addition, they suggest "The more is better versus less-is-better conceptions underling brain research continue to be a puzzle on the basis of task parameters, sample definitions, and underlying conceptual models” (p, 846). In many ways this is very exciting, as more research still needs to be conducted. In addition, their findings do much to dismiss any misconceptions that art is regulated to one region of the brain suggesting that art likely involves multiple dynamic brain regions.