Metacognition

Neuroscience

Cognitive science

Mathematics

Creativity technique

Cognitive flexibility

Creativity

Operating system

Statistics

Cognition

Cognitive psychology

Psychology

Computer science

Flexibility (engineering)

Mind-wandering

Process (computing)

Social psychology

Journal of Intelligence

The goal of this article is to review work on mind wandering, metacognition and creativity in order to consider their relationship with cognitive flexibility. I introduce a model of the role that mind wandering and metacognition have in the generation and exploration of novel ideas and products in the creative process. I argue that managing the interaction between metacognition and mind wandering is the main role of cognitive flexibility in creativity. Furthermore, I claim that balancing the influence of metacognition during the generation and exploration of pre-inventive structures is a quintessential part of creativity, probably in almost any domain. Thus, I advance a general framework that can be applied to understanding how creators monitor and think about their own cognition when they engage in the generation and exploration of ideas. Additionally, I discuss the evolution of controlled and spontaneous cognition and metacognitive judgements during the development of a creative person.

Metacognition, Mind Wandering, and Cognitive Flexibility: Understanding Creativity