Chiara Esposto’s scientific contributions

Divergent and convergent thinking are considered the two sides of creativity: the first being more related to idea generation; the second more focused on reaching one well-defined solution. Being one of the most complex of human behaviors, previous research underlined that creativity is supported by different neural circuits which involve both controlled and spontaneous cognitive processes. However, some areas have yielded a relatively consistent pattern of results, including the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG), which seems involved in the production of new ideas, but also during meditation. Thus, the aim of the present study was to stimulate the activity of this region in combination with meditation (e-meditation) to investigate its effects over divergent and convergent thinking. 33 healthy volunteers participated in the study, subdivided into three experimental groups: participants in group A (N=12) received anodal tDCS (a-tDCS) of the right IFG and real meditation. Participants in group B (N=10) received sham stimulation of the right IFG and real meditation, while participants in group C (N=11) received a-tDCS of the right IFG and fake meditation. They were recruited for 4 consecutive days, with the first and the last one also involving cognitive and creative assessment. Results revealed that A stimulation was the most successful in improving convergent thinking, while stimulation C, also real but with fake stimulation, was more effective in modulating divergent thinking. We hypothesized that fake meditation may have counteracted the effect of the stimulation prompting mind-wandering and the involvement of the Default Mode Network (DMN).

Mathematics, being a very ancient discipline, is usually seen as a formal subject that must be learned for school purposes, which is very far from creativity and fun. Also, mathematical skills are often considered a talent, so students are easily divided into gifted and not gifted, with a focus on speed and accuracy rather than encouraging the process of juggling between divergent and convergent thinking. In the present paper, we aimed at investigating the relationship between mathematical reasoning and different aspects of creative thinking, such as divergent and convergent creativity, aesthetic appreciation, and humor. To do so, 146 second and third graders in a primary school in Milan have been recruited and tested with mathematical and creative tasks. Correlational analyses showed significant positive relations between flexibility and originality dimensions of creativity and mathematical performance. Results are discussed by providing a theoretical framework about the relation between mathematics and creative skills.

Mathematics, being a very ancient discipline, is usually seen as a formal subject that must be learned for school purposes, which is very far from creativity and fun. Also, mathematical skills are often considered a talent, so students are easily divided into gifted and not gifted, with a focus on speed and accuracy rather than encouraging the process of juggling between divergent and convergent thinking. In the present paper, we aimed at investigating the relationship between mathematical reasoning and different aspects of creative thinking, such as divergent and convergent creativity, aesthetic appreciation, and humor. To do so, 146 second and third graders in a primary school in Milan have been recruited and tested with mathematical and creative tasks. Correlational analyses showed significant positive relations between flexibility and originality dimensions of creativity and mathematical performance. Results are discussed by providing a theoretical framework about the relation between mathematics and creative skills.