Semantic memory and creative evaluation
Abstract Background Creativity is a fundamental cognitive skill enabling the generation of original and effective ideas. While research has focused on creative idea generation, relatively little is known about creative idea evaluation, particularly from a metacognitive perspective. Understanding how...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03124-x |
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| author | Amit Skurnik Rakefet Ackerman Yoed N. Kenett |
| author_facet | Amit Skurnik Rakefet Ackerman Yoed N. Kenett |
| author_sort | Amit Skurnik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Creativity is a fundamental cognitive skill enabling the generation of original and effective ideas. While research has focused on creative idea generation, relatively little is known about creative idea evaluation, particularly from a metacognitive perspective. Understanding how knowledge structures relate to metacognitive processes that accompany creative thinking can further elucidate its complexity. Methods Using the relatedness judgment task, we constructed participants’ (N = 106) semantic memory networks. These networks provide individual-level measures such as network integration (efficiency), local connectivity, and community structure. These metrics were related to participants’ performance in the alternative uses task (AUT), which was used to assess both creative performance and participants’ subjective judgments of the originality of their responses. Results Objective originality was predicted by semantic memory networks that were broadly connected and avoided tightly knit clusters. In contrast, originality judgments were predicted by semantic memory networks that were highly integrated and efficient. These findings suggest a dissociation between objective originality performance and individuals’ self-assessments of originality. Finally, the number of ideas generated in the AUT was a consistent and strong predictor of both creative performance and individuals’ self-assessments of originality. Conclusions Our findings reveal how different aspects of semantic memory structure contribute to creative thinking and metacognitive judgments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf0cd9e6635548e99b3df6d27c0dfd9e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf0cd9e6635548e99b3df6d27c0dfd9e2025-08-20T03:06:27ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-07-0113111510.1186/s40359-025-03124-xSemantic memory and creative evaluationAmit Skurnik0Rakefet Ackerman1Yoed N. Kenett2Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences, Technion - Israel Institute of TechnologyFaculty of Data and Decision Sciences, Technion - Israel Institute of TechnologyFaculty of Data and Decision Sciences, Technion - Israel Institute of TechnologyAbstract Background Creativity is a fundamental cognitive skill enabling the generation of original and effective ideas. While research has focused on creative idea generation, relatively little is known about creative idea evaluation, particularly from a metacognitive perspective. Understanding how knowledge structures relate to metacognitive processes that accompany creative thinking can further elucidate its complexity. Methods Using the relatedness judgment task, we constructed participants’ (N = 106) semantic memory networks. These networks provide individual-level measures such as network integration (efficiency), local connectivity, and community structure. These metrics were related to participants’ performance in the alternative uses task (AUT), which was used to assess both creative performance and participants’ subjective judgments of the originality of their responses. Results Objective originality was predicted by semantic memory networks that were broadly connected and avoided tightly knit clusters. In contrast, originality judgments were predicted by semantic memory networks that were highly integrated and efficient. These findings suggest a dissociation between objective originality performance and individuals’ self-assessments of originality. Finally, the number of ideas generated in the AUT was a consistent and strong predictor of both creative performance and individuals’ self-assessments of originality. Conclusions Our findings reveal how different aspects of semantic memory structure contribute to creative thinking and metacognitive judgments.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03124-xCreativitySemantic memory networksCreative evaluationMetacognition |
| spellingShingle | Amit Skurnik Rakefet Ackerman Yoed N. Kenett Semantic memory and creative evaluation BMC Psychology Creativity Semantic memory networks Creative evaluation Metacognition |
| title | Semantic memory and creative evaluation |
| title_full | Semantic memory and creative evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Semantic memory and creative evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Semantic memory and creative evaluation |
| title_short | Semantic memory and creative evaluation |
| title_sort | semantic memory and creative evaluation |
| topic | Creativity Semantic memory networks Creative evaluation Metacognition |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03124-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amitskurnik semanticmemoryandcreativeevaluation AT rakefetackerman semanticmemoryandcreativeevaluation AT yoednkenett semanticmemoryandcreativeevaluation |