Abstract
IntroductionThe generation of creative visual imagery contributes to technological and scientific innovation and production of visual art. The underlying cognitive and neural processes are, however, poorly understood.MethodsThis review synthesizes functional neuroimaging studies of visual creativity. Seven functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and 19 electroencephalography (EEG) studies were included, comprising 27 experiments and around 800 participants.ResultsActivation likelihood estimation meta‐analysis of the fMRI studies comparing visual creativity to non‐rest control tasks yielded significant clusters in thalamus, left fusiform gyrus, and right middle and inferior frontal gyri. The EEG studies revealed a tendency for decreased alpha power during visual creativity compared to baseline, but comparisons of visual creativity to non‐rest control tasks revealed inconsistent findings.ConclusionsThe findings are consistent with suggested contributions to visual creativity of prefrontally mediated inhibition, evaluation, and working memory, as well as visual imagery processes. Findings are discussed in relation to prominent theories of the neural basis of creativity.
Highlights
The generation of creative visual imagery contributes to technological and scientific innovation and production of visual art
Two studies reported that alpha (Volf et al, 2010a) and theta (Volf & Tarasova, 2010) task-related desynchronization (TRD) during visual creativity versus baseline was of greater magnitude at posterior compared to anterior sites
Meta-analysis of six functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies revealed, across studies, greater activity in regions of right middle and inferior frontal gyri during visual creativity compared to non-rest control tasks, and EEG power and coherence effects during visual creativity were often focused on frontal sites
Summary
The generation of creative visual imagery contributes to technological and scientific innovation and production of visual art. Visual creativity refers to the generation of novel and useful mental visual imagery, which may lead to the production of novel and useful visual forms (e.g., sketches, paintings) (Aziz-Zadeh, Liew & Dandekar, 2013; Dake, 1991; Runco and Jaeger, 2012). Visual creativity is a key component in the generation of mental images and sketches of novel and functional products
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