The Nuanced Relationship Between Creative Cognition and the Interaction Between Executive Functioning and Intelligence

Abstract

AbstractThe current study addresses gaps in our understanding of the relationship between creative cognition, intelligence (IQ), and executive functioning (EF). Undergraduate students completed an IQ test, verbal and figural divergent thinking (DT) tests, and a self‐assessment of EF, across four study sessions. Participant data (N = 199) were analyzed using linear regression and PROCESS moderation models. Results demonstrated that EF interacts with IQ to predict figural and verbal DT in distinct ways, with different patterns emerging from different methods of scoring DT. Using traditional DT scoring, Gf (but not Gc) significantly moderated the relationship between EF and scores on both verbal and figural DT tasks. Low EF was associated with diminished DT scores for those with low Gf scores, unrelated for those with relatively higher Gf, and enhanced scores for those with the highest Gf. Using originality ratio scores, low EF was associated with diminished originality in verbal DT responses for those with low IQ (both Gf and Gc), unrelated for those with relatively higher IQ, and enhanced originality for those with the highest Gc (but not Gf) scores. Thus, there are several nuances in the way that EF interacts with IQ to predict DT.