漫遊的心靈有助於創意嗎？─探討促進孕育效果的心神漫遊狀態與個體條件

Abstract

孕育效果（incubation effect）是指個體思考問題卻不得其解時，暫停解題而從事其他活動（即孕育期）卻促進問題解決的現象。近年來孕育期的高心神漫遊（mind wandering）傾向有利孕育效果產生的觀點（即心神漫遊促進觀點）獲得了學界與大眾的注意，然而相關的研究方法與證據仍相當不一致。且另一方面，與此觀點相衝突，有研究發現能減少心神漫遊傾向的正念或靜觀練習也有助於孕育效果的產生。為整合過去研究發現的不一致與矛盾，本論文提出「心神漫遊不重複性假說」，認為並非心神漫遊整體的傾向，而是個體心神漫遊的內容不會固著在特定想法的程度才有助孕育效果的產生。除了以三個實驗檢驗該假說外，本論文也探索心神漫遊的不同面向與相關的個體特質因素如何影響孕育效果的產生。實驗一、二分別針對發散性創意作業（不尋常用途作業）及收斂性創意作業（遠距聯想作業），以兩種活動（低認知負荷作業和短暫的正念引導）分別操弄孕育期心神漫遊傾向與不重複性，來檢驗心神漫遊的不同面向對孕育效果的影響。實驗一有關發散性創意的結果符合預期，正念引導組（孕育期從事特定的專注呼吸練習）在孕育期所產生的心神漫遊較低認知負荷作業組（孕育期從事修改版0-回溯作業）少，但心神漫遊內容的不重複性較高，而該組的孕育效果也優於低負荷組。此外，孕育期心神漫遊的不重複性和刻意性能正向預測孕育效果量，但心神漫遊傾向則不具預測力。實驗一也首次發現正念特質高者較能受惠於以正念引導作為孕育期活動的情境。實驗二則發現，能產生高不重複性之心神漫遊的正念引導組在收斂性創意問題有產生孕育效果的傾向，且孕育期心神漫遊的不重複性有正向預測收斂性創意孕育效果量的傾向。實驗三以發散性創意作業進一步探討是否低負荷孕育情境只有利於具備特定個體特質者產生孕育效果，以及這些特質與不同心神漫遊面向如何共同影響低負荷孕育情境的孕育效果。結果發現該情境有利於認知彈性與觀察自身經驗傾向（正念特質的一個面向）高者突破創意的僵局。也發現觀察自身經驗傾向高者會受惠於高不重複性心神漫遊的產生而有較好的孕育效果，而開放性人格傾向、不立即反應傾向（正念特質的一個面向）高者則會受惠於高刻意性心神漫遊的產生而有較好的孕育效果。本論文從心神漫遊內容的不重複性切入，除了可以更細緻地檢驗心神漫遊促進孕育效果產生的機制外，也為「心神漫遊和正念皆能促進孕育效果產生」這樣看似衝突的發現提供一個整合的解釋。並首次發現特定的個體特質能從不同孕育期活動與意識狀態中受惠，意涵若能針對不同特質的個體建構適性的場域或孕育情境，將會更有效地提升其創意發想能力。

The incubation effect is a phenomenon in which people break through mental impasses after engaging in an unrelated interpolated activity (i.e., the incubation period). Some researchers recently have argued that the tendency to mind wandering during the incubation period is crucial for incubation (i.e., the mind wandering account). Nevertheless, the evidence is mixed. Some studies showing that engaging in a mindfulness induction during incubation, which could reduce mind wandering, can be conducive to the incubation effect further obscures the role of a person’s propensity for mind wandering in eliciting the incubation effect. To incorporate those inconsistent findings, I propose the “non-repetitiveness of mind wandering hypothesis,” which claims that the non-repetitiveness of mind wandering concerning its theme might be more crucial than the propensity dimension for eliciting incubation effects. Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis and explore the roles of different aspects of mind wandering and traits in eliciting incubation effects. In the first two experiments, the incubation effects of two types of interpolated activities (the low-load task and the mindfulness induction) on the divergent and convergent creativity were compared, respectively. As predicted, Experiment1 found that engaging in the mindfulness induction (a kind of focused-breathing practice) resulted in lower tendency but higher non-repetitiveness of mind wandering than the low-load task (the modified 0-back task). The former also showed a better incubation effect on the unusual uses task measuring divergent creativity. In addition, the non-repetitiveness of mind wandering and the tendency toward intentional mind wandering positively predicted the magnitude of incubation effects on divergent creativity. Experiment 1 also found that the mindfulness induction was conducive for participants with high mindfulness to show a better incubation effect. Similar results were found in Experiment 2. The mindfulness-induced group generated higher non-repetitiveness of mind wandering and tended to show incubation effect on the remote associates task measuring convergent creativity. Furthermore, the non-repetitiveness of mind wandering tended to positively predict the magnitude of incubation effects on convergent creativity. Experiment 3 further found that the low-load interpolated task was conducive for participants with high cognitive flexibility and observing (a facet of mindfulness) to show a better incubation effect on divergent creativity. Moreover, a better incubation effect on divergent creativity was shown when those with high observing generated mind wandering with high non-repetitiveness, and when those with high openness or nonreactivity (a facet of mindfulness) generated more intentional mind wandering. From the perspective of non-repetitiveness of mind wandering, this research examines the relationship between mind wandering and incubation effects more meticulously, and incorporates those seemingly contradictory findings about the incubation effect of mind wandering and mindfulness as well.