Neural mechanisms underpinning the association between visual arts education and creativity.

ABSTRACT: Visual arts education has been linked to cognitive and neural benefits, yet the neural mechanisms associated with creativity remain unclear. This study examined how long-term engagement in design-related visual arts education relates to creative performance and brain function. Using a quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching, we compared design majors to matched non-design majors. Participants completed visual art creative tasks (product and book cover design) and divergent thinking tasks (AUT, TTCT-figural) during fNIRS recording. The design group outperformed peers across tasks and showed greater left dorsolateral prefrontal activation during early idea generation, while non-design peers relied more on sensory and motor regions. Functional connectivity revealed reduced co

SUBMITTER: Teng J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12804192 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature