Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
J Sleep Res. 2012 Dec;21(6):643-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2012.01006.x. Epub 2012 Mar 9.
Both scientists and artists have suggested that sleep facilitates creativity, and this idea has received substantial empirical support. In the current study, we investigate whether one can actively enhance the beneficial effect of sleep on creativity by covertly reactivating the creativity task during sleep. Individuals' creative performance was compared after three different conditions: sleep-with-conditioned-odor; sleep-with-control-odor; or sleep-with-no-odor. In the evening prior to sleep, all participants were presented with a problem that required a creative solution. In the two odor conditions, a hidden scent-diffuser spread an odor while the problem was presented. In the sleep-with-conditioned-odor condition, task reactivation during sleep was induced by means of the odor that was also presented while participants were informed about the problem. In the sleep-with-control-odor condition, participants were exposed to a different odor during sleep than the one diffused during problem presentation. In the no odor condition, no odor was presented. After a night of sleep with the conditioned odor, participants were found to be: (i) more creative; and (ii) better able to select their most creative idea than participants who had been exposed to a control odor or no odor while sleeping. These findings suggest that we do not have to passively wait until we are hit by our creative muse while sleeping. Task reactivation during sleep can actively trigger creativity-related processes during sleep and thereby boost the beneficial effect of sleep on creativity.
科学家和艺术家都曾提出睡眠有助于创造力，这一观点得到了大量实证支持。在当前研究中，我们调查了是否可以通过在睡眠中潜意识地重新激活创意任务来主动增强睡眠对创造力的有益影响。在三种不同条件下比较了个体的创造性表现：睡眠伴有条件气味；睡眠伴有对照气味；或睡眠无气味。在睡前的晚上，所有参与者都被呈现一个需要创造性解决方案的问题。在两种气味条件下，一个隐藏的气味扩散器在呈现问题时散发气味。在睡眠伴有条件气味的条件下，通过在参与者被告知问题时呈现的气味来诱导睡眠期间的任务重新激活。在睡眠伴有对照气味的条件下，参与者在睡眠中暴露于与问题呈现期间扩散的气味不同的气味。在无气味条件下，不呈现气味。一夜带有条件气味的睡眠后，发现参与者：（i）更有创造力；（ii）比在睡眠中暴露于对照气味或无气味的参与者更能选择他们最有创意的想法。这些发现表明，我们不必在睡觉时被动等待灵感的降临。睡眠期间的任务重新激活可以在睡眠期间主动触发与创造力相关的过程，从而增强睡眠对创造力的有益影响。
