Giving Ideas Some Legs or Legs Some Ideas? Children’s Motor Creativity Is Enhanced by Physical Activity Enrichment: Direct and Mediated Paths

• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.806065
• Publication Date: 2022-03-10T12:45:51Z
• Authors: Nicoletta Tocci; Patrizia Scibinetti; Emiliano Mazzoli; Myrto Foteini Mav...; Ilaria Masci; Mirko Schmidt; Caterina Pesce
• Keywords: Motor Learning; Cognitive flexibility; Motor coordination

Approaches to foster motor creativity differ according whether creative movements are assumed be enacted ideas, or solutions emerging problems that arise from task and environmental constraints. The twofold aim of the current study was investigate (1) an enriched physical education (PE) intervention delivered with a joint constraints-led cognitive stimulation approach fosters creativity, responsiveness is moderated by baseline skills sex; (2) may benefit through gains in coordination, executive function, thinking. Ninety-five children, aged 6-9 years, participated 6-month group randomized trial specialist-led PE vs. generalist-led conventional PE. Before after intervention, Bertsch's Test Motor Creativity, Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Random Number Generation Torrance Creative Thinking were administered. Linear mixed models run accounting random effects data clusters. Multiple mediation analysis performed assess function thinking mediated any improvement creativity. Results showed PE, compared practice, elicited more pronounced all dimensions (fluency, flexibility, originality) independently levels improved partially coordination and, as regards also inhibitory ability. In conclusion, enriching tailored manipulations constraints variability enhance ability create multiple original task-pertinent both directly indirect paths. results discussed extending theoretical framework distinguishes different modes. have fostered generation exposure variation constraints, activating sensorimotor 'flow' mode bypasses higher-order cognition, but indirectly systematic conscious convergence on solutions, 'deliberate' relies inhibition reject common task-inappropriate movement categories.