Creativity has been proposed to be either the result of solely right hemisphere processes or of interhemispheric interactions. Little information is available, however, concerning the neuronal foundations of creativity. In this study, we introduced a new artistic task, designing a new tool (a pen), which let us quantitatively evaluate creativity by three indices of originality. These scores were analyzed in combination with brain activities measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results were compared between subjects who had been formally trained in design (experts) and novice subjects. In the experts, creativity was quantitatively correlated with the degree of dominance of the right prefrontal cortex over that of the left, but not with that of the right or left prefrontal cortex alone. In contrast, in novice subjects, only a negative correlation with creativity was observed in the bilateral inferior parietal cortex. We introduced structure equation modeling to analyze the interactions among these four brain areas and originality indices. The results predicted that training exerts a direct effect on the left parietal cortex. Additionally, as a result of the indirect effects, the activity of the right prefrontal cortex was facilitated, and the left prefrontal and right parietal cortices were suppressed. Our results supported the hypothesis that training increases creativity via reorganized intercortical interactions.
: This research focused on the design activities, considered as one of the human's Kansei processes. We have examined the effects of constraints on design by cerebral blood flow measurement (using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: NIRS). Subjects were asked to perform chair design based on a single color restriction (Task S) and multicolor restriction (Task M). After the both tasks were achieved, subjects were asked to answer subjective evaluations concerning both tasks. The differences of the Oxy hemoglobin value accompanying the tasks and subjective evaluations were examined. Result: Comparing Task S (considering only modeling) and Task M (considering modeling and color scheme), two channels showed a higher value, and one channel showed a lower value for Task M. Four channels showed a higher value for the task evaluated as "difficult." Two channels showed a lower value for the task evaluated as "satisfying." A significant difference could not be observed between the tasks evaluated as "pleasant" and as "creative." (p < 0.05) These results suggest that the restrictions and some subjective evaluations of design activity could correlate with, and be observed from cerebral blood flow measurement.
The authors have developed a cellular phone application called ProBoPortable that displays information regarding the progress and achievement of tasks and division of labor in project-based learning (PBL) for higher education. ProBoPortable works as wallpaper on the screen of the learner’s cellular phone, and it cooperates with Web-based groupware. When a learner activates his/her phone, ProBoPortable immediately retrieves the current status of the appropriate project from the groupware database and displays it on the screen. A classroom evaluation was performed in an undergraduate course; the evaluation confirmed that ProBoPortable enhanced mutual awareness of the division of labor among learners, who modified their own tasks by monitoring the overall status of the PBL. Using ProBoPortable increasingly fostered the sense of a learning community among the subjects. Moreover, social facilitation encouraged the learners to proceed with their own task due to the presence of others who are mutually aware of each member’s status.
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