New Modality, New Dates & Extended Call for Contributions!
Due to the emergency caused by COVID-19, the MIC Conference 2020 will be held in a virtual mode on new dates: September 14-16, 2020. Given that this new modality can potentially allow additional researchers to attend, we exceptionally re-open the call for contributions!
Download here the extended Call for Contributions.
NOTE: All contributions already accepted are of course automatically confirmed!
New Abstract submission: 10 June, 2020
New Acceptance notice: 30 June, 2020
New Early registration: 15 July, 2020
Please follow the updates on the MIC Conference website: https://www.mic-conference.org
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Per rendere omaggio a Gianni Rodari (1920-1980) nel centenario della nascita, il Comune di Sasso Marconi organizza il convegno nazionale “Per una scuola fantastica: Gianni Rodari e il semaforo blu”.
Growing neurophysiological evidence points to a role of alpha oscillations in divergent thinking (DT). In particular, studies have shown a consistent EEG alpha synchronization during performance on the Alternative Uses Task (AUT), a well-established DT task. However, there is a need for investigating the brain dynamics underlying the production of a sequence of multiple, alternative ideas at the AUT and their relationship with idea originality. In twenty young adults, we investigated changes in alpha power during performance on a structured version of the AUT, requiring to ideate four alternative uses for conventional objects in distinct and sequentially balanced time periods. Data analysis followed a three-step approach, including behaviour aspects, physiology aspects, and their mutual relationship. At the behavioural level, we observed a typical serial order effect during DT production, with an increase of originality associated with an increase in ideational time and a decrease in response percentage over the four responses. This pattern was paralleled by a shift from alpha desynchronization to alpha synchronization across production of the four alternative ideas. Remarkably, alpha power changes were able to explain response originality, with a differential role of alpha power over different sensor sites. In particular, alpha synchronization over frontal, central, and temporal sites was able to predict the generation of original ideas in the first phases of the DT process, whereas alpha synchronization over centro-parietal sites persistently predicted response originality during the entire DT production. Moreover, a bilateral hemispheric effect in frontal sites and a left-lateralized effect in central, temporal, and parietal sensor sites emerged as predictors of the increase in response originality. These findings highlight the temporal dynamics of DT production across the generation of alternative ideas and support a partially distinct functional role of specific cortical areas during DT.
