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Difficulties in the neuroscience of creativity: jazz improvisation and the scientific method
Author(s) -
McPherson Malinda,
Limb Charles J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/nyas.12174
Subject(s) - creativity , improvisation , jazz , cognitive science , psychology , creativity technique , cognition , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , epistemology , social psychology , art , philosophy , visual arts
Creativity is a fundamental and remarkable human capacity, yet the scientific study of creativity has been limited by the difficulty of reconciling the scientific method and creative processes. We outline several hurdles and considerations that should be addressed when studying the cognitive neuroscience of creativity and suggest that jazz improvisation may be one of the most useful experimental models for the study of spontaneous creativity. More broadly, we argue that studying creativity in a way that is both scientifically and ecologically valid requires collaboration between neuroscientists and artists.