Fig 2 - uploaded by Marieke Roskes
Content may be subject to copyright.
( A ) Study 3: response latencies for detailed vs holistic targets in the Navon task (higher score reflects more holistic processing; displayed Æ s.e.m.). ( B ) Study 3: oxytocin reduces number of solved syllogistic reasoning problems (ranging from 0 to 16, displayed Æ s.e.m.). ( C ) Study 4: number of generated convergent and divergent pasta names as a function of oxytocin (displayed Æ s.e.m.). ( D ) Study 4: number of category repetitions and switches during the generation of pasta names as a function of oxytocin (displayed Æ s.e.m.).
Source publication
Creativity enables humans to adapt flexibly to changing circumstances, to manage complex social relations and to survive and
prosper through social, technological and medical innovations. In humans, chronic, trait-based as well as temporary, state-based
approach orientation has been linked to increased capacity for divergent rather than convergent...
Similar publications
Aggressive behavior in dogs poses public health and animal welfare concerns, however the biological mechanisms regulating dog aggression are not well understood. We investigated the relationships between endogenous plasma oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP)—neuropeptides that have been linked to affiliative and aggressive behavior in other mammalia...
Citations
... Previous studies have explored the intricate connections between OT and traits associated with creativity, revealing positive correlations between OT-related genes and a spectrum of creativity-related traits, including imagination, cognitive flexibility, extraversion, and behavioral adaptability (Crespi and Summers 2014, De Dreu et al. 2014, Haram et al. 2014, Hovey et al. 2014, De Dreu et al. 2015. Moreover, elevated levels of plasma OT have consistently been linked to heightened scores in extraversion, openness, and novelty-seeking (Bell et al. 2006, Andari et al. 2014, De Dreu et al. 2015. ...
Oxytocin, a neuropeptide pivotal in social and reproductive behaviors, has recently gained attention for its potential impact on cognitive processes relevant to creativity. Yet, the direct intricate interplay between oxytocin and creativity, particularly in the context of individual differences in motivational orientations, remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of intranasal oxytocin on creative thinking in individuals characterized by varying levels of approach and avoidance motivations. The initial study, involving participants with high approach or avoidance motivation, employed the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) to assess creativity under oxytocin administration. Subsequently, the second study induced different motivational states through a recall task, aiming to validate and extend observed effects. Results revealed a significant enhancement of creativity in individuals with approach motivation following oxytocin administration, while no parallel effect was discerned in those with avoidance motivation. Aligning with behavioral findings, functional connectivity and graph theory analyses of neural data illuminated the coordinated effects of oxytocin on creativity-related neural networks. These outcomes collectively suggest that oxytocin exerts a dissociable influence on creativity contingent upon an individual’s motivational tendencies, providing insights into the intricate relationship between oxytocin and human creative behavior.
... It accumulates in the neurotransmitter GABAergic inhibitory synapses of neurons 47 . As neurotransmitters play a crucial role in creativity 48 , the mutation of NEGR1 may have implications for the trait of creativity. Another gene CELF4 (CUGBP, ELAV-like family 4) is related to a neural RNA-binding protein, predominantly expressed in the central nervous system. ...
Creativity is one defining characteristic of human species. There have been mixed findings on how creativity relates to well-being, and little is known about its relationship with career success. We conduct a large-scale genome-wide association study to examine the genetic architecture of occupational creativity, and its genetic correlations with well-being and career success. The SNP-h² estimates range from 0.08 (for managerial creativity) to 0.22 (for artistic creativity). We record positive genetic correlations between occupational creativity with autism, and positive traits and well-being variables (e.g., physical height, and low levels of neuroticism, BMI, and non-cancer illness). While creativity share positive genetic overlaps with indicators of high career success (i.e., income, occupational status, and job satisfaction), it also has a positive genetic correlation with age at first birth and a negative genetic correlation with number of children, indicating creativity-related genes may reduce reproductive success.
... Let us not forget that the history of medicine is actually a history of placebo and nocebo. Empathetic stimulation of placebo reactions and prevention of nocebo reactions is a vital important component of CP-CNP (8,51,52). The culture of empathy is closely linked to respect and promotion of human rights and for that reason CP-CNP proceeds hand in hand with the FREDA (fairness, respect, equality, dignity, autonomy) principles of human rights as one of the preconditions for a good clinical practice and therapeutic alliance with the patient and his or her family. ...
... Od izuzetne je važnosti empatično strpljivo i prikladno bolesniku i njegovoj obitelji objasniti prirodu bolesti i strategiju integralnog liječenja, te naglasiti važnost što ranijeg početka farmakoterapije kako bi se zaustavio psihopatološki proces u što ranijoj fazi. Važno je imati na umu činjenicu da je povijest medicine zapravo povijest placeba i noceba tako da je empatijsko poticanje placebo reakcije i prevencija nocebo reakcije bolesnika važna sastavnica KnOuNP-e (8,51,52). Kultura empatije je tijesno povezana s poštivanjem i promicanjem ljudskih prava tako da KnOuNP-a slijedi FREDA (fairness -pravednost, nepristranost), respect -poštovanje, equality -jednakost, dignitydostojanstvo, autonomy -autonomija) načela ljudskih prava jer su preduvjet dobre kliničke prakse i terapijskog saveza s bolesnikom i njegovom obitelji. ...
... Bell et al. [49], in a study with major depressive episode patients, found a positive association between OT levels and the personality dimensions of "Reward dependence", linked with noradrenergic activity and defined as the tendency to respond to reward signals that maintain behavior; and "Novelty seeking", defined as the tendency of frequent activation or initiation of behaviors in response to novel stimuli and associated with the neurotransmitter dopamine. In the same line, De Dreu et al. [50], in a study with university students, reported that "Novelty-seeking" was positively associated with plasma oxytocin. Similar, Andari et al. [51] found a positive correlation between oxytocin plasma levels and extroversion, in healthy male and female adults. ...
Background
Depressive symptomatology is prevalent among female university students with adverse effects on their quality of life and academic performance. Previous research suggested associations between depressive symptomatology and oxytocin levels and between depressive symptomatology and Temperament Traits. Despite this evidence, to the best of our knowledge no research has studied the effects fboth oxytocin serum levels and temperament dimensions on depressivesymptoms in a healthy sample. The present study aimed to analyse the effect of oxytocin levels and temperament traits on depressive symptomatology in healthy female university students.
Methods
All participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the Adult Temperament Questionnaire. Blood samples were collected between 8 and 8H30 a.m. after 12 h of fasting and between 5 and 8 day of the menstrual cycle and serum oxytocin levels were quantified using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A hierarchical multiple regression model using a stepwise method was conducted to identify predictors of depression.
Results
Forty-five women aged between 18 and 25 years old (19.37 ± 1.32 years) volunteered to participate in this study. Depressive symptomatology was negatively associated with oxytocin serum levels and "Negative affect" and positively associated with "Effortful control" and "Activation Control". In the final regression model, only oxytocin level was a predictor (B = − 0.090, p < 0.0001), the model explaining 65.2% of the depression variation. Oxytocin played a mediation role between "Negative affects" and Depressive symptomatology.
Conclusions
Our results showed that oxytocin level, rather than personality dimensions, was associated with depressive symptomatology. These results highlight the relevance of the discussion on the use of oxytocin as a biological marker of emotional and social symptoms that characterize depression.
... Oxytocin decreases anxiety and potentiates dopaminergic stimulation. Interestingly, intranasal administration can increase creativity but decrease analytical reasoning [42,43]. ...
Creativity, art and artistic creation in music, dance and visual arts are brain activities specific to humans. Their genetic background remained unexplored for years, but many recent studies have uncovered significant associations with cognition-related genes and loci. These studies are summarized in the present article. Creativity is a trait with heavy genetic influences, which are also associated with mental disorders and altruism. Associated genes include dopaminergic, serotoninergic and other genes (a1-antitrypsin, neuregulin, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Music is another complex phenotype with important genetic background. Studies in musicians and their families have highlighted the contribution of loci (e.g., 4q22) and specific genes (vasopressin receptor 1α and serotonin transporter). The latter two are also associated with dancing. Although few studies have investigated visual arts, they appear to be influenced by genetic differences, which could explain the increased prevalence of synesthesia in artists and individuals with autism. Lastly, although genes play an important role in creativity and art, epigenetics and the environment should not be overlooked. The genetic exploration of artistic creativity may provide useful knowledge on cognition, behavior and brain function. It may also enable targeted and personalized art therapy in health and disease.
... From Fig. 2, as well as Tables S1 and S2, (in supporting material, SI), the conditional effects of CD157 expression are significant when values of logged normalized CD38 < 1.84 for males, i.e. the 95% confidence intervals did not include zero. Below CD38 < 1.84, an increase in CD157 significantly predicts an increase of AUT, a direction in line with De Dreu et al. findings of oxytocinergic contributions to creative cognition 7 . ...
... www.nature.com/scientificreports/ Despite the considerable heritability attributed to explaining individual differences in CT 1 , only a few candidate gene association studies have been undertaken to identify genetic loci 7,66 . A complementary strategy gaining traction that can identify jointly genetic and epigenetic contributions to complex behaviors such as CT is to implement an OMICS strategy using peripheral biomarkers, e.g. ...
Converging evidence suggests that oxytocin (OT) is associated with creative thinking (CT) and that release of OT depends on ADP ribosyl-cyclases ( CD38 and CD157 ). Neural mechanisms of CT and OT show a strong association with dopaminergic (DA) pathways, yet the link between CT and CD38 , CD157 , dopamine receptor D2 ( DRD2 ) and catechol-O-methyltransferase ( COMT ) peripheral gene expression remain inconclusive, thus limiting our understanding of the neurobiology of CT. To address this issue, two principal domains of CT, divergent thinking (AUT), were assessed. In men, both AUT is associated with gene expression of CD38 , CD157 , and their interaction CD38 × CD157 . There were no significant associations for DA expression ( DRD2 , COMT , DRD2 × COMT ) on both CT measures. However, analysis of the interactions of OT and DA systems reveal significant interactions for AUT in men. The full model explained a sizable 39% of the variance in females for the total CT score. The current findings suggest that OT and DA gene expression contributed significantly to cognition and CT phenotype. This provides the first empirical foundation of a more refined understanding of the molecular landscape of CT.
... Noradrenaline is thought to modulate the balance between exploitation and exploration by promoting the stabilization of salient information in working memory and attention shifting (Aston-Jonnes and Cohen 2005;Berridge and Waterhouse 2003) and may enable the persistence of creative thinking. In addition, oxytocin facilitates flexibility and divergent thinking, which are crucial for creative thinking (De Dreu et al. 2014). The differences may also be caused by decreased cortisol responses and fear signals in the amygdalar-hippocampal circuit. ...
An increasing number of studies have found that a few, specific subcortical regions are involved in creative visual divergent thinking. In addition, creative thinking is heavily reliant on the fronto-striatal dopaminergic pathways. This study aimed to explore whether spontaneous fluctuations in the subcortex, which contribute to our creative abilities, showed significant differences between individuals with different levels of creativity based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. We calculated subcortical regions’ seed-wise and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC), and then examined the differences between the high and low visual creativity groups. Furthermore, the topological properties of the subcortical network were measured, and their relationship with creative visual divergent thinking was calculated using brain–behavior correlation analyses. The results showed that functional connectivity (FC) between the putamen, pallidum, and thalamus indicated group differences within the subcortex. Whole-brain FC results showed group differences across subcortical (i.e., the thalamus and pallidum) and cerebral regions (i.e., the insula, middle frontal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus). In addition, subcortical FC demonstrated a positive correlation with visual divergent thinking scores across the pallidum, putamen, and thalamus. Our findings provide novel insights into the relationship between visual divergent thinking and the activities of the subcortex. It is likely that not only fronto-striatal dopaminergic pathways, but also “motor” pathways, are involved in creative visual divergent thinking processing.
... Noradrenaline is thought to modulate the balance between exploitation and exploration by promoting stabilization of salient information in working memory and in attention shifting (Aston-Jonnes and Cohen, 2005;Berridge and Waterhouse, 2003) and may enable the persistence of creative thinking. In addition, oxytocin facilitates flexibility and divergent thinking, which are crucial for creative thinking (De Dreu et al., 2014). Moreover, the differences may be caused by decreased cortisol responses and fear signals in the amygdalar-hippocampal circuit. ...
This study aimed to testify whether spontaneous fluctuations in the subcortex contribute to creative divergent thinking. Individuals at high- and low levels of creativity were recruited and the resting-state fMRI data was collected. Seed-wise and dynamic functional connectivity (FC) were used to identify differences between the two groups. The topological properties of the subcortical network were measured, and their relationship with performance of creative divergent thinking was calculated using brain-behaviour correlation analyses. The results revealed higher FC between the putamen, pallidum, and thalamus in high creativity group (HCG) compared to low creativity group (LCG) within the subcortex. Whole-brain FC results showed stronger connection across subcortical (i.e., the thalamus and pallidum) and cerebral regions (i.e., the insula, middle frontal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus) in HCG compared to LCG. In addition, the subcortical FC demonstrated a positive correlation with performance of creative thinking across the pallidum, putamen, and thalamus. Our findings may provide novel insights into the relationship between creative divergent thinking and the activities of the subcortex. It is likely that not only fronto-striatal dopaminergic pathways, but also “motor” pathways, are involved in creative thinking processing.
... It was found that frequency estimates might yield the required reliability levels when 300-400 participants are examined. However, often research relies on way smaller samples (De Dreu et al., 2014;Wallach & Kogan, 1965), which is particularly problematic for uniqueness scoring based on frequency-estimates with the lowest conditional reliability (Forthmann, Paek et al., 2020). ...
Creativity—as any other object of scientific endeavor—requires a sound measurement that adheres to quality criteria. For decades, creativity science has been criticized as falling short in developing valid and reliable measures of creative potential, activity, and achievement. Recent years have witnessed growth of theoretical and empirical works that focused on improving creativity assessment. Here, we apply one of such recently developed approaches based on item response theory to examine ideas’ and person score reliability in a divergent thinking task. A large sample (N = 621) of children and adolescents solved the Circles task from Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking-Figural and two other figural tests measuring creative thinking (Test of Creative Thinking-Drawing Production) and creative imagination (Test of Creative Imagery Abilities). By employing response propensity models, we observed that separate ideas’ reliability tended to fall below recommended thresholds (even liberal ones, e.g., .60) unless the sample size as well as the number of generated ideas (fluency) were large. Importantly, reliability at the idea-level affected reliability at the person-level much less than could be assumed based on recent findings. We propose a systematic perspective on divergent thinking assessment that considers responses as nested in tasks and tasks as nested in tests. Finally, we recommend that adding more tasks to divergent thinking tests might increase reliability at the task-level.
... The oxytocin (OXT) system is one biological substrate that has been associated with individual differences in human behavior, social cognition and broad definitions of personality such as trust and generosity. There are studies showing that greater concentrations of endogenous OXT is associated with higher trait novelty-seeking temperament (De Dreu et al., 2015) and secondly, OXT intra-nasal administration leads to increased holistic processing, more flexible thinking, more original ideas, and better creative problem solving (De Dreu et al., 2014). Intriguingly, Cardoso and colleagues (Cardoso et al., 2012) demonstrated that OXT administration is characterized by modifications in self-report personality. ...
