From semantic distance to creative text: Rare word pairings shape creativity judgments

While individual semantic map structure has been proposed as a foundation for creative text generation, conventional group-aggregated network metrics obscure the idiosyncratic features that may drive creative output. The main objective of current study was to test whether the specific features of individual semantic structure may impact the subjective perception of text creativity level. To test our hypotheses, we used the following methods: text generation (essays), natural language processing, behavioral experiment. During the first stage of the study, we collected essays on a free topic from 41 participants (35 females, M age = 18.2 years, SD = 0.19, range = 18-20). All texts were processed, and the 15 most frequent and 15 most rare noun pairs used within the same sentence were selected, along with the corresponding sentences. During the second stage, the selected word pairs and sentences were presented to another 71 participants (60 females, M age =18.93 years, SD = 0.36, range = 18-38). Participants rated the semantic distance between the words in each word pair and the level of creativity of the presented sentences. Our results showed that rare word pairs were perceived as being significantly more semantically distant, while sentences containing rare word pairs were perceived as significantly more creative. We conclude that nodes of semantic map, which show person-specific features significantly impact creative text generation.We further discuss how these individual differences can be used in the design of behavioral and neuroimaging experiments on creativity. Disclosure Statement The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.