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Brain Activity Differs For Creative And Noncreative Thinkers (Is this related to S/N)

darlets

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Apr 29, 2007
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Creative and Noncreative thinkers

This article talks about how some people have a creative brain that will make leaps to the answers, whilst other methodically work their way through something.

Is this really a N or a S brain?

"For example, a glimpse of an advertisement on a billboard or a word spoken in an overheard conversation could spark an association that leads to a solution. In contrast, the more focused attention of methodical solvers reduces their distractibility, allowing them to effectively solve problems for which the solution strategy is already known, as would be the case for balancing a checkbook or baking a cake using a known recipe."
 

Siúil a Rúin

when the colors fade
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Apr 23, 2007
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ISFP
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sp/sx
The SPs are the artisans. How are they not creative?

I agree that creativity requires a different sort of brain function than strict routinized thinking, but creativity tends to be about bringing together diverse elements, not extreme thinking in only one direction. I know as an artist that I have to integrate the internal/abstract and external/concrete worlds or my creations are nothing of meaning or consequence.
 

Usehername

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Creative and Noncreative thinkers

This article talks about how some people have a creative brain that will make leaps to the answers, whilst other methodically work their way through something.

Is this really a N or a S brain?

"For example, a glimpse of an advertisement on a billboard or a word spoken in an overheard conversation could spark an association that leads to a solution. In contrast, the more focused attention of methodical solvers reduces their distractibility, allowing them to effectively solve problems for which the solution strategy is already known, as would be the case for balancing a checkbook or baking a cake using a known recipe."

i saw this in my sciencedaily.com email and was thinking the same thing! i didn't have time to read it yet and then forgot about it.
 

Usehername

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Thinking for chemistry learning:

i tend to have the "aha" moment as opposed to continual learning (when talking about the course). for instance: one day before the test, i got a 2/25 on the practice test, and then (like what often happens) i just have some basic concept click and it's like dominoes and my brain suddenly becomes smart. then i get 23/25 on the real test the next day.

but, to solve a calculation question for 3rd year chem: generally i go step by step. a lot of times i can't see the end from the beginning; it's just working on solving the immediate problem and then dealing with the next thing.

in short: i don't know if i'd call myself a creative thinker or noncreative. abstract is probably what describes the difference best.
 

ptgatsby

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So you measure people and divide them how they solved problems, and their brains showed they solved the problems differently. That's not surprising, really. I don't see any connection to S/N here until it has been shown that Ns solve problem in flashes / Ss solve only methodically. This study only shows that there are two biological methods to reaching a solution when dealing with unscrambling.

I say this because I solve math methodically - even flashable stuff... but I always solve word problems in flashes (I can't do it methodically). On IQ tests (patterns), I solve most problems in flashes (notably the easy ones, of course), but then solve the rest methodically. Neither show any "improvement" in score, if you will, except that it takes a bit longer to do it methodically (whereas if I can't flash an answer, I simply can't... while I may be able to solve it methodically).
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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I think the connection is more likely to P vs. J. Most creative people fall under the SP category. SJ thinking on the other hand is more orderly. P's are going to be the ones that predominantly show up as creative. NJ's are simply a small subset of that causing noise in the data.
 

ygolo

My termites win
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This seems like global vs. sequential learning differences to me.

Not S vs. N or P vs. J.

Personally, I think it is possible to be both creative an methodical at the same time.

Generally, I work on a problem methodically, till my insight beats my method to the result. But sometimes, I get there methodically first. It used to surprise me how often I would arrive at the same conclusion at the same time using both ways.

De Bono's lateral thinking seems to be about being methodically creative.

Still, the fact that there is a neurological difference (though not surprising) is an important finding.

I think all of us are capable of going into the diffuse state talked about in the article (its quite pleasant actually). Hopefully, this is one step closer to legitimizing being that way (keeping a diffuse visual awareness).
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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This seems like global vs. sequential learning differences to me.

Not S vs. N or P vs. J.

Personally, I think it is possible to be both creative an methodical at the same time.

Generally, I work on a problem methodically, till my insight beats my method to the result. But sometimes, I get there methodically first. It used to surprise me how often I would arrive at the same conclusion at the same time using both ways.

De Bono's lateral thinking seems to be about being methodically creative.

Still, the fact that there is a neurological difference (though not surprising) is an important finding.

I think all of us are capable of going into the diffuse state talked about in the article (its quite pleasant actually). Hopefully, this is one step closer to legitimizing being that way (keeping a diffuse visual awareness).

Actually I believe there is a correlation between global/sequential learning and P/J respectively. J's tend to organize things into a specific order. P's tend to understand things when they see the whole picture.
 

wildcat

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Jun 8, 2007
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So you measure people and divide them how they solved problems, and their brains showed they solved the problems differently. That's not surprising, really. I don't see any connection to S/N here until it has been shown that Ns solve problem in flashes / Ss solve only methodically. This study only shows that there are two biological methods to reaching a solution when dealing with unscrambling.

I say this because I solve math methodically - even flashable stuff... but I always solve word problems in flashes (I can't do it methodically). On IQ tests (patterns), I solve most problems in flashes (notably the easy ones, of course), but then solve the rest methodically. Neither show any "improvement" in score, if you will, except that it takes a bit longer to do it methodically (whereas if I can't flash an answer, I simply can't... while I may be able to solve it methodically).
What does the methodical way mean?
I went to bad schools. They did not allow understanding the root of what.
Would you now say they were methodical?
Or not?

Does method include connection?
In other words, does it allow thinking?

The flashes or leaps- do they follow the understanding of connection?

At school they teach the words and the rules but they do not teach what the words mean and they do not teach that the rule is the connection.

The words and the rules just pop out from the woodwork. This is the impression you get at school.

Maybe the schoolmasters like the mystification. It makes them feel important.
They are like some high priests.
Maybe they truly believe the rules pop out from the woodwork.
It is an awesome thought.

But when you see how this world is governed you begin to believe it.
 

mcmartinez84

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Oct 25, 2007
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P's tend to understand things when they see the whole picture.

That's definitely me! I can't follow anything until I know what the overall goal is. In my higher level Math classes, I have trouble following proofs unless the prof says what steps he's taking and what it will get us after we do it (how it will help prove the theorem). When they don't explain this stuff I remain lost. I can't even go over it myself to figure it out most of the time (but that's probably due to the fact that I've forgotten definitions and some concepts used in the proof - I'm so glad I'm finished this semester!).

I'm not creative at all. I don't know if it's S, T or P, but I've never had a good imagination. And I can't lie either. I really suck at lying.
 

Schizm

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That's definitely me! I can't follow anything until I know what the overall goal is. In my higher level Math classes, I have trouble following proofs unless the prof says what steps he's taking and what it will get us after we do it (how it will help prove the theorem). When they don't explain this stuff I remain lost. I can't even go over it myself to figure it out most of the time (but that's probably due to the fact that I've forgotten definitions and some concepts used in the proof - I'm so glad I'm finished this semester!).

I'm not creative at all. I don't know if it's S, T or P, but I've never had a good imagination. And I can't lie either. I really suck at lying.

You underestimate your ability to lie and damage other people's lives. As an ISTP, you could very easily become an antisocial personality. I have hope for you.
 
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