The Relationship between Memory and Creativity: A Research Summary Synthesis Paper by Satrih

Summary

Avitia and Kaufman (2014) answered the question of how long-term memory retrieval relates with creativity. Previous studies indicated that there is a correlation between IQ and creativity even though very small. It inspired this study to focus on how they are correlated. 116 students of a university in Southern California participated. Atlantis, Rebus, Atlantis delayed, Rebus delayed models and reading comprehension including word recognition were used for intelligence measure. Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT), Creative Achievement Questionnaires (CAQ) and Self-assessment of Creativity (SAC) were used for creativity measure. One-on-one setting was administered for Atlantis and Rebus activity followed by a brief reading test and creative tasks on poem and drawing. Participants then worked on CAQ & SAC followed with delayed subtests. On intelligence measure, all coefficients were significant but on various creativity measures, it was nonsignificant. While creative subtests correlated significantly with long-term memory retrieval and crystallized intelligence, it was not same for other correlations. The results indicated that long-term memory retrieval is more related to actual creative performance and fluency is not the only component of long term memory retrieval that relates with creativity. The research also suggested that short-term memory associated with mind-wandering may contribute more to creativity. Some weaknesses of the study i.e. the imbalance of participants and predictors in number, the limited domains and methodologies, less interesting prompts on poem writing and drawing for mood booster, are encouraging for more expansive future research.

Smeekens and Kane (2016) answered questions of whether the executive control of

working memory tends to promote creativity or otherwise and whether creativity is a product of working or wandering mind. Previous studies showed that individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) affects the prediction making of essential cognitive abilities and products. Other studies showed the limitations. WMC-related executive processes worked well in lower level cognitions only. It inspired this research to be conducted in three experiments. Each experiment used same initial procedures. Modifications were made in the number of subjects, using one of two tasks in the previous experiment or adding materials related to see whether the results are consistent. Two forms of mind wandering called “tuning out” (the realized form) and “zoning out” (the unrealized form) were observed. The results were consistent. Neither WMC nor mind-wandering was the only cognition component that relates with creativity. All components might contribute proportionally. Higher WMC may be more creative, but not exclusively. The implication is as a strong proof for the falseness of the claim that creativity is enhanced by a wandering mind. Even individual differences do not confirm. Daydreaming or mind wandering may facilitate creativity but it also could be the other way around or both ways.

Meyersburg, Carson, Mathis & McNally (2014) answered the question of whether Past Life Memory (PLM) associates with creativity and inclusiveness. Believing in such thing as reincarnation is a fact in some human lives and that PLM is a popular theme in American culture inspired this research to conduct two studies. Study 1 had two groups, the PLM group and the comparison group. While the PLM group had to report any thoughts that came from their past life, the comparison group had to deny. Creativity was measured with Divergent Thinking (DT) tasks, Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ), Creative Personality Scale (CPS), Latent Inhibition (LI) tasks, and Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT). Study 2 had 106 students in two sections of a course on the psychology of creativity. The sections were categorized as on campus and distance (online). Past Life Beliefs (PLB) was measured using questionnaire that included items concerning PLM. Schizotypal personality was also measured using an O-LIFE questionnaire. Both sections completed the same tasks, one section did the tasks on campus and the other one did online. The results showed significant and positive associations between PLM including PLB with creativity. The key implication is the use of past life memory reports to enhance creativity.

Synthesis

In general, the three peer-reviewed journals talked about the relationship between

memory and creativity. The specifications of kinds of memory discussed in each journal i.e. long-term memory retrieval, working memory capacity, mind wandering, and past life memory are insightful. While the first and the second research mentioned above tended to show negative correlations and associations between the variables, they still opened a wide possibility to conduct more researches on the matter in various domains and methodologies. The third research however, showed positive results. This should remind us of our own past life memory. Past life memory may be our sources of inspiration to create something new or a better different version of the old one we had in the past. The ability to create something new or better is clearly related with the topic of creativity.

Despite the negative result on the correlation between long-term memory retrieval and creativity, the study on the association of past life memory could be an answer to the limitations undergone in the first journal mentioned previously. A past life memory is indeed a long-term memory and to reach the dimension, one should do a retrieval activity. It was also suggested that mind wandering as an element of short term memory may contribute to a creative performance, which was proved to be wrong in the second journal mentioned above. Nevertheless, the past life memory may come up in a wandering mind. Two forms of a wandering mind called “tuning out” and “zoning out” may leave us in a question without answer unless the research is participated by more – if I cannot say all – highly self-reflective or contemplative persons.

Unlike in the first journal, the second journal did not apply Self-Assessment Creativity, which might have been something missing since it is the participants themselves who knew which form of a wandering mind they experienced more and contributed to their creativity. Nevertheless, as the researchers concluded mind wandering or daydreaming and creativity may influence each other in both directions, we can say that the result of the research based on the question proposed was inconclusive. Hence, the second research also suggested that there are many more domains and methodologies can be applied related to what makes creativity. The same thing also applies for the research on the effect of past life memory towards creativity, which was encouraging.

Past life memory can be about anything. Some people I met often respond to another person’s judgement on their creativity by retelling past events that inspired them to create. I always need to retrieve my memory of classroom activities that I did in the past to create a good chronological and logical narrative text related to topics of instructional strategies or other parts of teaching and learning process. We can also clearly observe this positive association between past life memory and creativity through media. For instance, computer and technology information magazines always serve us with highly creative profiles behind today’s advanced products of technology. There will always be stories of their past life that inspire them to create. This should inspire other researchers to conduct more specific past life memory in association with more specific creativity. It can be in the domains of science or scientific discovery, math, engineering, problem solving, social studies, literary works, arts and design, musical, entrepreneurship, linguistics, and so forth. Again, even though the two researches mentioned previously gave negative results regarding the association and correlation between long-term memory retrieval, working memory capacity, mind wandering or daydreaming as the independent variables, which are clearly associated with past life memory and creativity as the dependent variable, the suggestions from the researchers that are based on some low or moderate correlation results mean to open possibilities for future research more specifically or more comprehensively.

References

• Avitia, M. J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2014). Beyond g and c: The relationship of rated creativity to long-term storage and retrieval (Glr). Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(3), 293-302.

• Smeekens, B. A., & Kane, M. J. (2016). Working Memory Capacity, Mind Wandering, and Creative Cognition: An Individual-Differences Investigation into the Benefits of Controlled Versus Spontaneous Thought. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 10(4), 389-415.

• Meyersburg, C. A., Carson, S. H., Mathis, M. B., & McNally, R. J. (2014). Creative histories: Memories of past lives and measures of creativity. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 1(1), 70-81.