Creativity as a Determinant of the Development of Homo Sapiens

Abstract

This work was undertaken to determine the genesis and role of creativity (Cr) in the formation of mental qualities that gave Homo sapiens (HS) the evolutionary advantages in intra-and interspecific competition during the period of the intraspecific bifurcation of hominids on the border of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. Creativity allowed HS to design the adaptive forms of purposeful behavior corresponding to the conditions and the degree of uncertainty, and create stable mental constructs, in the absence of perceptual sources, that do not require reactive behavior. Visualization of a target image, which originally had an applied and instructional value in the process of semantic filling, was transformed into a symbol, which, getting the qualities of the perceptual source, loses its connection to the primary value and initiates the creation of qualitatively new needs for hominids: bilateral (direct and inverse) relations in the system "subject-symbol." The ability to produce the prognostic hypothesis with expansion of the operating range of the HS mind allowed the ability to search and change the tactics of an adaptive behavior, which gave the results: improvements in quality of life and an increase in life expectancy (genetically fixed); domination in intraand interspecific competition; the emergence of new operating systems of the psyche, including the emergence and development of symbolic thought. As a criterion of creativity, with the potential ability for quantitative measurement, we propose the value of deviation of creative oscillations ("proposal" of a creative individual) from the boundaries between stereotypes: for the cognition sphere, a deviation from the border between recognizable and unrecognizable; for the social sphere, between acceptable and unacceptable. (Int J Biomed. 2016; 6(4):298-302.)

Mental Activity as an Attractor of Evolutionary Development of Homo Sapiens

“…We believe that it is possible to state that the causes of the 11th phase transition (the Paleolithic cultural revolution) are those described above and earlier (2)(3)(4) qualitative changes in the HS psyche, which formed the psyche of a new class: a creative psyche producing frustration constructs-motivating, purposeful forms of behavior that require cooperation-and developing forms of communication, where the symbol becomes the dominant factor in ED of HS. In other words, the psyche of a new class that creates motivating frustration constructs (virtual motivators) becomes an attractor of the evolutionary development of HS.…”

“…The creative product (CC), originally the IG, was transformed into a fragment of the environment (2)(3)(4) with the functions of the control object. The emergence and complication of projective ways of depicting the CC triggered the emergence of pictorial techniques and primary cultural skills.…”

“…This ability appeared in HS as a result of a genetic mutation, (1) or other (exogenous or interfering) causes, (2) about 50,000 years ago, and led to the possibility of separating the IG from targeted forms of behavior. The creative product (CC), originally the IG, was transformed into a fragment of the environment (2)(3)(4) with the functions of the control object. The emergence and complication of projective ways of depicting the CC triggered the emergence of pictorial techniques and primary cultural skills.…”

Creativity as a Determinant of Intraspecific Aggressive Properties of the Psyche of Homo sapiens

“…To achieve this goal, we used our previously published materials, (1,2) along with the works of cited authors. (3)(4)(5)(6) We view the psyche as a distributed system consisting of functional subsystems, where the emergence of new subsystem, creativity,…”

“…We understand intraspecific aggression as the antagonistic contact between the frustration constructs, aimed at reducing the tension caused by frustration. The purpose of this research was to describe the fundamental mechanism by which the intraspecific aggression of Homo sapiens (HS) emerged, resulting from the emergence of new psychic qualities of hominids: creativity and symbolic thinking.To achieve this goal, we used our previously published materials, (1,2) along with the works of cited authors. (3)(4)(5)(6) We view the psyche as a distributed system consisting of functional subsystems, where the emergence of new subsystem, creativity,…”