Novelty-seeking trait predicts the effect of methylphenidate on creativity.
In recent years the use of psychostimulants for cognitive enhancement in healthy individuals with no psychiatric disorders has been on the rise. However, it is still unclear whether psychostimulants improve certain cognitive functions at the cost of others, and how these psychostimulants interact with individual personality differences. In the current study, we investigated whether the effect of one common stimulant, methylphenidate (MPH), on creativity is associated with novelty seeking. Thirty-six healthy adults, without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomology, were assigned randomly in a double-blind fashion to receive MPH or placebo. We found that the effect of MPH on creativity was dependent on novelty-seeking (NS) personality characteristics of the participants. MPH increased creativity in individuals with lower NS, while it reduced creativity levels in individuals with high NS. These findings highlight the role of the dopaminergic system in creativity, and indicate that among healthy individuals NS can be seen as a predictor of the effect of MPH on creativity.
1 Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Hila Z
HZ
Gvirts
1 Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Naama
N
Mayseless
2 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|3 The Emotion-Cognition Research Center, Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Aviv
A
Segev
2 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|3 The Emotion-Cognition Research Center, Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
D Yael
DY
Lewis
2 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|3 The Emotion-Cognition Research Center, Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Kfir
K
Feffer
2 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Yael
Y
Barnea
2 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|3 The Emotion-Cognition Research Center, Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Yuval
Y
Bloch
1 Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Simon G
SG
Shamay-Tsoory
D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003405:Creativity; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate
Creativity; cognitive enhancement; dopamine; methylphenidate; novelty seeking