Symposium: Creative Cognition

Creativity is the generation of products and ideas that are new, valuable, and surprising. Interdisciplinary research in cognitive science makes it clear that creativity does not have to be the mysterious result of divine inspiration. Rather, we can investigate the mental processes that have creative results. This symposium will discuss creativity from a combination of disciplinary vantage points, including philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and computer modeling. We will try to answer questions such as the following: What are the most important cognitive processes involved in producing creative results? Do these cognitive processes operate in the same way across the many domains of creativity, including science, technology, the arts, and social innovation? How can understanding of cognitive processes be used to enhance creativity? Is creativity amenable to computer modeling? Is there an optimal level of creativity at the individual and social level?