Effect of the Torrance Creative Thinking Test on Heart Rate Signal Features

Aims: Showing a meta-cognitive aspect, creativity is related to higher mental processes such as thinking, intelligence, imagination, and information process. There are many studies on the physiological bases of creativity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of creative thinking on the heart rate signal.
In this semi-experimental study, 52 medical engineering, electrical, and control students of Sahand University were studied in 2012. The subjects were selected via accessible sampling method. To assess the level of the students’ creative thinking, Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (B form; figural) was used. Before and during creative thinking test, heart signal in the rest position was recorded by 1000Hz sampling frequency. Data was analyzed using Wilcoxon non-parametric test.
Findings: There was an increase in the mean heart power amplitude during creative thinking than the rest position. However, passing time and conducting the last sessions of the creativity test, it showed a reduction. There was an increase in the heart rate in persons with high creativity than those with low creativity. In addition, based on the test scores, there was a higher creativity level in females and three-lingual persons than males and bi-lingual persons, respectively. There was an increase in the heart rate in females than males (p=0.0398). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between three-lingual and bilingual persons (p>0.05).
Creative thinking results in an increase in the heart rate in persons with high creativity than persons with low creativity. Therefore, the creativity level can be detected via heart signal.