Divergent thinking and the core executive functions: a state-of-the-art review

The study of the relationships between divergent thinking and the core executive functions is long standing. However, the literature on this topic is not conclusive. The present review was aimed to clarify the extent to which divergent thinking is related to the core executive functions, namely inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility. The main findings showed that divergent thinking is supported by inhibition in terms of flexible attention changes. Working memory appears to play a key role in enabling semantic associations when the focus of attention is narrowed. Then, although cognitive flexibility is a key element of divergent thinking, only a few studies independently investigated its contribution. Taken together, the results suggest that divergent thinking relies on the ability to switch between different mechanisms according to the individual’s ability and task demands. Future research directions are also discussed.