Switching, fast and slow: Deciphering the dynamics of memory search, its brain connectivity patterns, and its role in creativity

Creative ideas emerge from the process of searching and combining concepts in memory, involving both associative and controlled mechanisms. How these processes unfold during memory search and relate to creativity remains unclear. We explored the neurocognitive underpinnings of semantic memory search using a clustering-switching framework and the Marginal Value Theorem (MVT) from optimal foraging theory. During an associative fluency task with polysemous words, most responses aligned with MVT predictions, but some deviated from them. These behavioral results were replicated in an independent sample. Connectome-based modeling revealed that functional brain connectivity predicted these MVT-deviant patterns and mediated the relationship between brain connectivity and creative performance. These findings suggest that the cognitive policy favoring creativity may differ from the policy optimizing fluency (i.e., MVT). This study introduces novel measures of semantic search, identifies their neurocognitive correlates, and underscores the importance of search patterns in understanding creative abilities.