Creative Activity as a Self-Regulating Human System: An EEG-Based Study of Oscillatory Dynamics

Abstract

This study extends prior exploratory research (Isobe and Edagawa, 2025) to reconceptualize creative activity as a self-regulating human system and to clarify its psychophysiological dynamics. Creativity has often been examined as a cognitive state, such as flow or insight, or in relation to psychological traits; however, integrative approaches that incorporate temporal fluctuation and embodied processes remain limited (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996; Fink and Benedek, 2014; Sawyer, 2012). From the perspective of embodied cognition, cognitive processes are inseparable from bodily states and sensorimotor interactions (Shapiro, 2011). This suggests that creative activity should be understood not only as a mental process but as an embodied phenomenon grounded in ongoing physiological and environmental coupling. In design research, creativity has been framed as a practical and relational process (Cross, 2001; Dorst, 2015; Kimbell, 2011), yet its physiological grounding has been insufficiently explored. This study conducts a secondary analysis of EEG data collected during a LEGO® Serious Play® workshop to examine the dynamics of Interest and Stress and their relationships with psychological resources, including PERMA, general self-efficacy, and sleep. Results show that Interest follows an inverted U-shaped trajectory, while the relationship between Stress and Interest dynamically shifts from positive to negative across phases. PERMA and self-efficacy function as buffering mechanisms, and sleep provides a restorative foundation. Based on these findings, creative activity is conceptualized as an oscillatory process between arousal and recovery, modeled as an “Arousal–Recovery Loop.” This process is further structured as a multilevel framework consisting of (1) psychological resources that support orientation toward creative engagement, (2) creative practice, and (3) embodied dynamics. Within this framework, EEG oscillations are interpreted as observable manifestations of regulatory processes rather than isolated physiological events. These findings suggest that creativity should be understood as a rhythmically regulated process, offering theoretical and empirical contributions to creativity research and human-centered design.

Keywords: Creative activity, Oscillatory dynamics, Self-regulating system, EEG, Design attitude

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008217