Training in the adolescent brain: An fMRI training study on divergent thinking.

Abstract

Prior research suggests that adolescence is a time of enhanced sensitivity for practice and learning. In this study we tested the neural correlates of divergent thinking training in 15- to 16-year-old adolescents relative to an age-matched active control group. All participants performed an alternative uses task, a valid measure to test divergent thinking, while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) images were acquired before and after a training program. In between the 2 scanning sessions the experimental group completed 2 weeks of divergent thinking training (8 sessions) and the control group completed 2 weeks of rule switching training (8 session). A Group × Time interaction demonstrated stable divergent thinking performance for the experimental group, whereas in the control group performance declined. Generating alternative uses (experimental task condition) relative to generating ordinary characteristics of objects (control task condition) was associated with increased activation in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG), angular gyrus (AG), and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Test-retest analyses showed that within-individuals-activation in these regions was stable over time in both groups. Changes in alternative uses fluency over time, however, were positively associated with changes in superior lateral PFC activation over time. Together, the results indicate that core brain regions for creativity (SMG, AG, and MTG) are consistently recruited in adolescence, and that changes in performance are associated with changes in activation in lateral PFC. (PsycINFO Database Record

Una Revisión Teórica De La Creatividad en Función De La Edad

“…En cuanto a la imaginación, parece ser que las edades de 6 a 10 años muestran mejores resultados (Delvecchio et al, 2016), no habiendo diferencias entre adultos jóvenes y mayores (Madore et al, 2016) La adolescencia podría destacar en las características de elaboración y transformación (Gundogana et al, 2013) probablemente por el incremento del dominio visoespacial (Kleibeuker et al, 2013), relacionado neuropsicológicamente con las regiones centrales del cerebro para la creatividad (SMG, AG y MTG) que se restablecen constantemente, en esa edad. De esta manera, la adolescencia es una etapa clave en los procesos de aprendizaje que conduzcan a potenciar el pensamiento divergente (Kleibeuker et al, 2016).…”

“…Durante la adolescencia se presenta un decrecimiento en el desarrollo de procesos creativos, que puede deberse a las actitudes e intereses de los sujetos, sin embargo, finalizando esta etapa se reestablecerá tales procesos (Krumm et al, 2015). Dentro de los hallazgos realizados por Kleibeuker et al (2013) se encuentra que el pensamiento divergente verbal y la visión creativa se desarrollan hasta la adolescencia tardía, pero, la fluidez y la flexibilidad tienden a alcanzar un elevado nivel, equiparable con el adulto, de igual manera, el pensamiento divergente viso-espacial presenta mayor desempeño a la edad de 15 y 16 años.…”

“…AUT (Guilford, 1967) y The CMST (Finke, 1990) Egg task YBRAINS (Chua, 2004) DAC (Hultsch, Hammer & Small, 1993) AUT (Guilford, 1967) AUT y AF (Guilford, 1967) TCP (Torrance, 1966) The (Mednick, 1962) , AUT y CAT (Guilford, 1967) Creativity Test and Scoring Scale, People-drawing Test Scorings Scale y Free-drawing Test and Scoring Scale (Lin y Wei, 2012) AUT (Guilford, 1967) CPS (Cheng, 2002) AUT (Guilford, 1967) LGT (Kleibeuker et al, 2016) Creative ideationAUT Combined Alternative Uses/Ordinary Characteristics TaskGeneral ideation (Guilford, 1967)…”

Creativity Development in Adolescence: Insight from Behavior, Brain, and Training Studies

“…Important new questions triggered by these results are what (brain) mechanisms are underlying training success in adolescents and to what extent training effects are related to the reorganization of the PFC and associated regulatory systems during adolescence (Keating, ; Steinberg, ). To examine these issues, we asked participants aged 15–16 years to perform an adapted version of the AUT (similar to the task described in Kleibeuker et al., ); fMRI images were acquired before and after the training program (Kleibeuker et al., ). Again, the core brain regions for creative ideation (SMG, AG, MTG) were consistently activated in adolescents and recruitment remained relatively stable after training.…”

Examining the Development of Creativity in Adolescents in 9th and 12th Grades: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study

“…When the studies conducted in abroad on creativity are examined, it is seen that there are findings in a wide range such as demographic variables (Matud, Rodríguez, & Grande, 2007), social-emotional characteristics (Reza Tamannaeifar & Motaghedifard, 2014), and brain functionality (Kleibeuker et al, 2017). Similar to the studies conducted in Turkey, there are studies conducted in abroad on CT EPs (McGregor, 2001; Y. C. Yeh, Y. H. Yeh, Li, & Pen, 2006) and the relationship between CT and teaching programs (Laius & Rannikmae, 2005).…”