Improving creativity performance by short-term meditation


Author: Ding X, Tang YY, Tang R, Posner MI.


Conference/Journal: Behav Brain Funct.
Date published: 2014
Other:
  Word Count: 154  
    BACKGROUND:

One form of meditation intervention, the integrative body-mind training (IBMT) has been shown to improve attention, reduce stress and change self-reports of mood. In this paper we examine whether short-term IBMT can improve performance related to creativity and determine the role that mood may play in such improvement.

METHODS:

Forty Chinese undergraduates were randomly assigned to short-term IBMT group or a relaxation training (RT) control group. Mood and creativity performance were assessed by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) questionnaire respectively.

RESULTS:

As predicted, the results indicated that short-term (30 min per day for 7 days) IBMT improved creativity performance on the divergent thinking task, and yielded better emotional regulation than RT. In addition, cross-lagged analysis indicated that both positive and negative affect may influence creativity in IBMT group (not RT group).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results suggested that emotion-related creativity-promoting mechanism may be attributed to short-term meditation.

PMID: 24645871