Psychology
Maria Castro 
CreativityandMoodDisorderPartI2019foronlinedelivery.pptxCreativity and mood disorder: part I (Taylor, 2017)
“we of the craft are all crazy. Some are affected by gaiety, others by melancholy, but all are more or less touched.” lord Byron (as quoted in Jamison, 1993)
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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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One major question, for both non-experts and scientists who study creativity, is the role of psychopathology in creativity.
The visual artist I have chosen for this set of notes illustrates this connection quite well.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Yayoi kusama
Yayoi kusama had a difficult childhood (including a hyper-critical mother).
Moved to new York in the sixties and became a performance artist. (she worked with yoko ono among others).
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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She returned to japan, suffering a series of nervous breakdowns that required hospitalization.
She continues to live and spend the night in a psychiatric hospital, although she leaves each day to work in her studio and even travels to attend her international exhibitions.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors
Yayoi Kusama
In the previous set of notes, we saw that there are correlations between creativity and mental illness, especially among artists. (This trend holds for geniuses as well.)
The question that interests scientists (and maybe some of you) is whether mental illness plays a causal role in creativity.
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The explanations follow the standard correlation is not causation pattern.
Does A cause b? maybe mental illness causes greater creativity.
Does B cause A? maybe being a creative person causes mental illness .
does c cause both a and b?
Maybe mental illness and creativity just happen to occur together.
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We will explore four possible explanations below.
Because this is such a complex topic, the article we discuss focusses only on mood disorders (i.e., depression, mania, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia).
We will revisit this topic and try to provide a partial answer in the last section of the course.
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Three ways creativity and mood disorder may be related
1. Mood disorder causes creativity
a. Depressive episodes may Provide
material for creative work.
Increased sensitivity
Greater depth and subtlety of feeling
Increased awareness and insight to the human condition
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Mood Disorder
Creativity
Mood Disorder Creativity
Characteristics of (hypo)manic states (increased energy, cognitive fluency) or fluctuation between depressive (increased sensitivity, greater depth and subtlety of feeling) and (hypo)manic episodes produce creative advantage.
Depressive episodes may provide material for creative work (increased awareness and insight in the human condition).
Hypo(manic) episodes provide motivation and drive to express insights
Mood lability in bipolar may enhance affective integration of both positive and negative materials in memory.
Creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.
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b. Hypo(manic) episodes provide
Motivation
Drive to express insights
Increased energy
Cognitive fluency (ability to think and write more quickly)
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Mood Disorder
Creativity
Mood Disorder Creativity
Characteristics of (hypo)manic states (increased energy, cognitive fluency) or fluctuation between depressive (increased sensitivity, greater depth and subtlety of feeling) and (hypo)manic episodes produce creative advantage.
Depressive episodes may provide material for creative work (increased awareness and insight in the human condition).
Hypo(manic) episodes provide motivation and drive to express insights
Mood lability in bipolar may enhance affective integration of both positive and negative materials in memory.
Creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.
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c. Mood lability (i.e., changes between depression and mania) in bipolar may enhance affective/emotional integration of positive and negative materials in memory
d. creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Mood Disorder
Creativity
Mood Disorder Creativity
Characteristics of (hypo)manic states (increased energy, cognitive fluency) or fluctuation between depressive (increased sensitivity, greater depth and subtlety of feeling) and (hypo)manic episodes produce creative advantage.
Depressive episodes may provide material for creative work (increased awareness and insight in the human condition).
Hypo(manic) episodes provide motivation and drive to express insights
Mood lability in bipolar may enhance affective integration of both positive and negative materials in memory.
Creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.
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2. Creativity causes Mood disorder
a. Pursuit of creativity may negatively impact mood regulation:
arts: Channeling and expression of intense emotions may lead to dysregulation in mood.
financial instability,
immense competition,
stresses of public recognition may put individuals at risk for mental health issues.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Mood Disorder
Creativity
Creativity Mood Disorder
Five factors related to pursuit of creativity that may negatively affect mood regulation: reinforcement of emotionality, occupational stress, substance misuse, irregular sleep and activity schedules, challenges to goal regulation.
Creativity in the arts requires channeling and expression of intense emotions. May lead to dysregulation in mood.
Financial instability, immense competition, stresses that accompany public recognition (public criticism, self-consciousness) may put individuals at risk for mental health issues.
Creative individuals may use illegal drugs as coping strategies or to enhance creativity.
Irregular hours contribute to poor health and circadian rhythm instability.
Drive and ambition predict creative accomplishment and mood disorders.
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Illegal drugs may be used as coping strategy
or to enhance creativity
Irregular hours contribute to poor health and circadian rhythm instability
Drive and ambition are predictive of both creative accomplishment and mood disorders.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Mood Disorder
Creativity
Creativity Mood Disorder
Five factors related to pursuit of creativity that may negatively affect mood regulation: reinforcement of emotionality, occupational stress, substance misuse, irregular sleep and activity schedules, challenges to goal regulation.
Creativity in the arts requires channeling and expression of intense emotions. May lead to dysregulation in mood.
Financial instability, immense competition, stresses that accompany public recognition (public criticism, self-consciousness) may put individuals at risk for mental health issues.
Creative individuals may use illegal drugs as coping strategies or to enhance creativity.
Irregular hours contribute to poor health and circadian rhythm instability.
Drive and ambition predict creative accomplishment and mood disorders.
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3. Unknown third variable
a. Compensatory advantage model
Creativity and mood disorder as different
Expression of same genes.
inverted u
mild form of disorder enhances creativity
High levels decrease creativity
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Creativity
Mood Disorder
????
Mental Disorder
Creat.
Unknown Third Variable
Compensatory Advantage Model:
Creativity and mood disorder as different expression of same genes.
Inverted U: mild form of disorder or familial history leads to enhanced creativity. High levels decrease it.
Shared Vulnerability Model:
Cognitive vulnerability characteristics (decreased latent inhibition, increased novelty seeking, neural hyperconnectivity) may manifest as enhanced creativity.
These characteristics must be paired with high levels of protective factors (IQ, working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility).
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B. shared vulnerability model
cognitive Vulnerability characteristics
(decreased latent inhibition,
increased novelty seeking,
Neural hyperconnectivity)
Might increase creativity but…
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Creativity
Mood Disorder
????
Unknown Third Variable
Compensatory Advantage Model:
Creativity and mood disorder as different expression of same genes.
Inverted U: mild form of disorder or familial history leads to enhanced creativity. High levels decrease it.
Shared Vulnerability Model:
Cognitive vulnerability characteristics (decreased latent inhibition, increased novelty seeking, neural hyperconnectivity) may manifest as enhanced creativity.
These characteristics must be paired with high levels of protective factors (IQ, working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility).
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They must be are paired with
High levels of Protective factors:
(IQ,
working memory capacity,
cognitive flexibility)
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Creativity
Mood Disorder
????
Unknown Third Variable
Compensatory Advantage Model:
Creativity and mood disorder as different expression of same genes.
Inverted U: mild form of disorder or familial history leads to enhanced creativity. High levels decrease it.
Shared Vulnerability Model:
Cognitive vulnerability characteristics (decreased latent inhibition, increased novelty seeking, neural hyperconnectivity) may manifest as enhanced creativity.
These characteristics must be paired with high levels of protective factors (IQ, working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility).
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