Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
January 1, 2016Journal of Behavioral and Brain ScienceOpen Access

The Physiological Response during Divergent Thinking

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Key result

Log-transformed low frequency heart rate variability power during a creative task was significantly negatively correlated with the number of divergent thinking words generated (r = -0.47, p < 0.01).

Why the study?

Does a relaxed state before a creative task improve divergent thinking performance, and is psychophysiological state correlated with divergent thinking?

Population

50 participants, aged between 18 and 22 years, students at the Cardiff School of Art and Design, 35 males…

Comparison

Relaxed condition: participants relaxed and… vs Immediate condition: participants were given…

Design

RCT, Male and female participants were randomly allocated to one of two…

Follow-up

1 minute

Authors

GLGareth LoudonGDGina Deininger

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Lower LF-HRV during creative tasks was associated with better divergent thinking; extends autonomic-cognition links while leaving pre-task relaxation effects open.

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=50)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does a relaxed state before a creative task improve divergent thinking performance, and is psychophysiological state correlated with divergent thinking?

P
Population
50 healthy university students aged 18 to 22 years who completed a 1-minute cognitive task to assess divergent thinking while heart rate variability was recorded.
E
Exposure
Relaxed condition: participants relaxed and focused on breathing slowly until reaching a relaxed state (defined by LF HRV threshold) before undertaking a 1-minute divergent thinking task (generating new names for pasta).
C
Comparator
Immediate condition: participants were given instructions and immediately given one minute to undertake the divergent thinking task.
O
Outcome
Correlation between physiological measures (heart rate and heart rate variability, specifically log-transformed low frequency HRV power) and divergent thinking performance (number of divergent thinking words generated).surrogate

Main Result

Effect estimate: r = -0.47

p-value: p=<0.01

A person's psychophysiological state, specifically lower LF HRV power, is correlated with better divergent thinking performance, though initial relaxation does not predict creative performance.

Limitations

  • Task duration of only one minute limited the reliability of spectral information for low frequency HRV.
  • Small sample size of 50 participants.
  • each task only lasted one minute, and therefore only one minute of HRV data was analysed
  • relatively small sample size of 50 participants

Cite This Study

Loudon et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (assessing creativity) (n=50). Log-transformed low frequency heart rate variability (ln LF) vs. Unexposed/reference (correlation analysis across all participants) was evaluated on Number of divergent thinking words generated (r = -0.47, p=<0.01). Log-transformed low frequency heart rate variability power during a creative task was significantly negatively correlated with the number of divergent thinking words generated (r = -0.47, p < 0.01).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a20f4e9e2d1a39857ecce33https://doi.org/10.4236/jbbs.2016.61004
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Acute aerobic exercise and creative thinking: comparison of transient hypofrontality state and strength model of self-controls’ theoretical predictions2024
  2. 2Creative challenge: Regular exercising moderates the association between task-related heart rate variability changes and individual differences in originality2019 · 16 citations
  3. 3Heart Rate Variability Prediction of Stimulant-Induced Creativity Gains in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder2025 · 2 citations
  4. 4Analytic and Holistic Thinkers: Differences in the Dynamics of Heart Rate Complexity When Solving a Cognitive Task in Field-Dependent and Field-Independent Conditions2021 · 7 citations
  5. 5Cognitive Performance and Heart Rate Variability: The Influence of Fitness Level2013 · 157 citations