Files and links (1)
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access via Drexel Libraries Read and Publish Program 2024CC BY-NC V4.0, Open
Journal article
Creative flow as optimized processing: Evidence from brain oscillations during jazz improvisations by expert and non-expert musicians
Neuropsychologia, v 196, 108824
28 Feb 2024
Featured in Collection : Research Supported by Drexel Libraries' OA Programs
Abstract
Using a creative production task, jazz improvisation, we tested alternative hypotheses about the flow experience: (A) that it is a state of domain-specific processing optimized by experience and characterized by minimal interference from task-negative default-mode network (DMN) activity versus (B) that it recruits domain-general task-positive DMN activity supervised by the fronto-parietal control network (FPCN) to support ideation. We recorded jazz guitarists' electroencephalograms (EEGs) while they improvised to provided chord sequences. Their flow-states were measured with the Core Flow State Scale. Flow-related neural sources were reconstructed using SPM12. Over all musicians, high-flow (relative to low-flow) improvisations were associated with transient hypofrontality. High-experience musicians’ high-flow improvisations showed reduced activity in posterior DMN nodes. Low-experience musicians showed no flow-related DMN or FPCN modulation. High-experience musicians also showed modality-specific left-hemisphere flow-related activity while low-experience musicians showed modality-specific right-hemisphere flow-related deactivations. These results are consistent with the idea that creative flow represents optimized domain-specific processing enabled by extensive practice paired with reduced cognitive control.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Creative flow as optimized processing: Evidence from brain oscillations during jazz improvisations by expert and non-expert musicians
- Creators
- John Kounios (Corresponding Author) - Drexel University, Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)
- Publication Details
- Neuropsychologia, v 196, 108824
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001198340900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85186716295
- Other Identifier
- 991021853714104721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Behavioral Sciences
- Neurosciences
- Psychology, Experimental
Related media
Research