The Whys and Hows of Studying The Creative Brain

Abstract
For psychologists and neuroscientists of creativity, the first step towards uncovering the neurocognitive basis of this incredible ability is to settle on which empirical approach to adopt. The choices are actually vast. The dominant approach views creativity as a unitary and domain-general construct. Alternative approaches vary in their focus. Some take on a multidimensional view of creativity in evaluating diverse creative mental operations. Others seek to identify variables that are crucial for domain-specific creativity. This Keynote Address explores how the chosen path of investigation necessarily impacts wider conceptualizations of creative neurocognition, and why we need to be cognizant of the same.

Bio
Anna Abraham is a Professor of Psychology at the School of Social Sciences in Leeds Beckett University. She investigates the neurocognitive basis of creativity and other aspects of the human imagination including the reality-fiction distinction, mental time travel, self-referential thinking and mental state reasoning. Her educational background is in the disciplines of psychology and neuroscience, and she has studied and worked in several academic institutions across the world. She has published over forty peer-reviewed publications, and is the author of the upcoming book, Neuroscience of Creativity, with Cambridge University Press. For more information, please visit her webpage: http://www.anna-abraham.com/.