Metacontrol Regulates Creative Thinking: An EEG Complexity Analysis Based on Multiscale Entropy

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that creative thinking is associated with metacontrol, but its neural basis is unknown. The present study explored the neural basis of both by assessing EEG complexity through multiscale entropy. Subjects were engaged in a metacontrol task and an Alternative Uses Task, grouped according to task performance, and the EEG was analysed by multiscale entropy. The results showed that EEG complexity was significantly higher in the high-metacontrol and high-creativity groups than in the low-metacontrol and low-creativity groups, respectively, at high time scales. The metacontrol adaptability score and multipurpose task score were significantly and positively correlated with the EEG complexity at multiple electrode sites. It suggests that metacontrol and creativity are dependent on the activation of long-duration neural networks.

Keywords

• metacontrol
• creativity
• electroencephalography
• multiscale entropy
• neural networks