Creative ideas change our world, from small improvements in everyday life to major contributions in the arts and science. But what are the (neuro)cognitive mechanisms underlying creative ideas? In this presentation, I briefly introduce how the complex trait of creativity is conceptualized and studied from the perspective of psychology. I will then present findings on the cognitive and neural basis of creative thinking, which highlight the relevance of memory, control, and attention processes in creative cognition. Relevant works in this field addressed among others the following questions: How do semantic and episodic memory support creative ideation? Are creative ideas based on spontaneity or cognitive control? What is the role of attention in imagination? Taken together, these findings enable us to increasingly appreciate creative thinking as the extraordinary result of ordinary (neuro)cognitive processes.

Mathias Benedek leitet als Assoziierter Professor das Creative Cognition Lab an der Universität Graz.