Electroencephalography-Based Exploration of Nonlinear Brain Dynamics in Design Creativity During a Modified TTCT-F Task

Abstract

Abstract. This study explores the use of nonlinear electroencephalography (EEG) features—including correlation dimension, sample entropy, fractal dimension, permutation entropy, and the Lyapunov exponent—to capture the brain's complex dynamics during four cognitive states: idea generation, evolution, evaluation, and rest, observed in modified figural tasks from the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. Grounded in a nonlinear design-dynamics model that conceptualizes design creativity as a chaotic process highly sensitive to initial conditions, this research offers a preliminary investigation into how distinct EEG patterns characterize different phases of creative cognition. The results reveal that brain activity exhibits varying nonlinear and chaotic dynamics across cognitive states, with key features and regions—particularly in the frontal, parietal, and central lobes—contributing significantly to state differentiation. The Lyapunov exponent emerges as the most influential feature, aligning with theoretical models of creativity as an initial-condition-sensitive process, while correlation and fractal dimensions reflect shifts in the brain's fractal organization, especially in frontal and central regions. These nonlinear measures, particularly in the parietal, central, and temporal areas, effectively distinguish cognitive phases, and the observed dominance of left hemisphere activity suggests asymmetrical neural processing during creative design tasks. As a novel application of these features in this context, the study offers a comprehensive portrait of brain activity across creative states and establishes a foundation for further exploration of the neurocognitive mechanisms underpinning design creativity.