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Abstract
A theoretical framework of embodied cognition was the impetus for developing an experimental utility to help observe creativity in situ. A bootstrapped methodology distilled already present data to map cognitive processes that occur during divergent thinking (DT). An online experiment leveraged software scripting to provide dynamic feedback on performance during DT task items. Participants were assigned to conditions that, when compared to each other, revealed order effects during DT. This microgenetic approach warranted a methodological modularity that could partition item-level effects in DT through formulated pairings of instructions and feedback. Participant responses to DT task items were time-stamped, providing insight on the pace and trajectories of creative ideation. A response indexing system further facilitated analysis of these sensitive data, uncovering how switches in task types and alterations to item modularity affect creative ideation. Methodological advancements provided as much insight on divergent thinking as the hypotheses investigated. Significant effects on item-level constructs, such as the onset of original ideation, encouraged future explorations of creativity that integrate embodied and situated cognition.