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Is a wandering mind a novelty-seeking mind? The curious case of incubation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 May 2024
Abstract
The Novelty-Seeking Model can explain incubation's effect on creativity by assuming an adaptive decision threshold. During an impasse, the threshold for novelty becomes too high and biased to previous neural activity, hindering progress. Incubation “resets” this threshold through attentional decoupling, allowing for spontaneous ideas to emerge from subsequent mind wandering or other activities that attract attention, facilitating progress.
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- Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press
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Target article
A shared novelty-seeking basis for creativity and curiosity
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Author response
A shared novelty-seeking basis for creativity and curiosity: Response to the commentators