Peer-reviewed article
The association between cognitive flexibility and creativity across childhood and adolescence: a scoping review.
Kalaivanan K, Wang R, Ren J, Liu M, Zhang X et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This scoping review examines the relationship between cognitive flexibility (the ability to shift between ideas and strategies) and creativity in children and adolescents aged 0-18 years. The review synthesized 14 studies published over the past decade and found that nine studies showed a positive association between these two abilities, particularly when both were measured as complex constructs. The findings suggest that creativity may depend more on higher-level strategic forms of cognitive flexibility rather than simple task-switching. The review identifies significant gaps in how these concepts are defined and measured across different ages.
Key points
- Nine of fourteen studies found a significant positive association between cognitive flexibility and creativity in children and adolescents
- Definitions and measurement approaches for both cognitive flexibility and creativity varied widely across studies, using both performance-based tasks and self-report instruments
- Positive associations were strongest when cognitive flexibility was assessed as a complex, multifaceted construct and creativity was measured using traditional tools
- Five studies reported null or inconsistent findings, often when using narrow task-switching paradigms or creativity tasks with additional cognitive demands
- No consistent age-related differences were identified in the cognitive flexibility-creativity association across preschoolers, school-going children, and adolescents
Limitations
This is a scoping review that consolidates existing literature rather than collecting new empirical data, so it cannot establish causation or provide definitive answers about the strength of the relationship. The review highlights that substantial methodological heterogeneity across the included studies limits the ability to draw firm conclusions about whether the cognitive flexibility-creativity association truly differs by age group.
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility (CF), the ability to adaptively shift between perspectives, ideas, or strategies, is increasingly recognised as an important executive function underlying creativity. Creativity broadly refers to the capacity to generate ideas or solutions that are both unique and suitable to a given context. A positive association between CF and creativity is well-documented in adults. However, evidence from childhood and adolescence, which are developmental periods characterised by heightened neuroplasticity and the maturation of executive control, remains fragmented. This is largely due to substantial methodological heterogeneity across studies. This scoping review synthesises empirical studies published in the past decade that examine the association between CF and creativity in individuals aged 0-18 years. Specifically, it examines: (1) how CF and creativity have been conceptualised and measured in this age group; (2) whether there is an association between CF and creativity; and (3) whether this association varies across preschoolers, school-going children, and adolescents. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria for the scoping review. Definitions and measurement approaches varied widely, spanning performance-based tasks and self‑report instruments. Nine of the studies found a significant positive association between CF and creativity, particularly when CF was assessed as a complex, multifaceted construct and when creativity was assessed by traditional tools. In contrast, five studies reported null or inconsistent findings; these studies often employed narrow task-switching paradigms or creativity tasks incorporating other cognitive demands (e.g., reasoning). Importantly, no consistent age‑related differences were identified in the CF-creativity association. The results combined suggest that creativity may rely more on higher-level, strategic forms of CF that support the integration and exploration of ideas, rather than on simple rule-switching ability. By consolidating existing evidence and highlighting key conceptual and methodological gaps, this review offers a clear direction for future research to take when investigating the association between CF and creativity across developmental stages.