Creative cognition under stress: the dual pathways of cognitive flexibility and persistence

This study examined how stress affects creativity through cognitive flexibility and persistence, drawing on the dual-pathway model of creativity. Using a VR stress paradigm, stress was induced via a roller coaster scenario, and a campus scene served as the control. Sixty healthy participants were randomly assigned to stress (N = 30) or control (N = 30) groups. Five tasks simultaneously assessed cognitive flexibility, persistence, and creativity. Stress effects were evaluated via heart rate, electrodermal activity, and salivary cortisol. Results showed that the virtual roller coaster scenario effectively induced a stressful state. Stress reduced creativity and cognitive flexibility but increased cognitive persistence. Additionally, mediation analysis revealed that cognitive flexibility mediated the effect of stress on creativity, highlighting its key role in stress-induced creative impairments. This study extends the dual pathway to the creativity model under stress, offering a systematic framework to elucidate how stress shapes creative cognitive processing.