Working Memory and Divergent Thinking: The Moderating Role of Field-Dependent-Independent Cognitive Style in Adolescence

Abstract

Divergent thinking (DT) is considered a key process of creativity. It is supported by different mental processes, ranging from executive functions to cognitive styles. The extent to which these processes jointly contribute to DT is still unclear, especially in adolescence, which represents a developmental stage that involves fundamental changes and restructuring in cognition, emotion, and personality. The present study hypothesises that the field-dependent-independent cognitive style (FDI) moderates the relationship between working memory capacity (WMC). A convenient sample of one hundred adolescents (mean age 18.88 years) was tested in terms of FDI by the Embedded Figure Test (EFT), which requires finding a simple shape as fast as possible within a complex figure. WMC was assessed by the Digit Span Forward Test (DSFT), which requires recalling sequences of numbers in the same order immediately after the presentation. DT was assessed by the Alternative Uses Test (AUT), which requires finding as many uses as possible for common objects. The main result was that the field-independent cognitive style (FI) positively moderated the effect of WMC on DT. This result extends previous findings on the critical role of FDI in real-world creativity, suggesting that FI adolescents better exploit the effect of WMC on DT by using more analytic and associative strategies, focusing on relevant elements when facing a problem, and retrieving conceptual knowledge more efficiently. Implications, limits, and future research directions are briefly discussed.