Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG Data

As a translation strategy, mind mapping has a positive influence on the development of students’ divergent thinking skills. However, research on how mind mapping affects divergent thinking has primarily relied on traditional testing methods, which mainly focus on completed translation tasks. There i...

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Main Authors: Ting Liu, Zhisheng Wang, Hao Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/613
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author Ting Liu
Zhisheng Wang
Hao Yu
author_facet Ting Liu
Zhisheng Wang
Hao Yu
author_sort Ting Liu
collection DOAJ
description As a translation strategy, mind mapping has a positive influence on the development of students’ divergent thinking skills. However, research on how mind mapping affects divergent thinking has primarily relied on traditional testing methods, which mainly focus on completed translation tasks. There is still a lack of research using dynamic and procedural experimental methods. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of the most effective tools for identifying and analyzing cognitive processing. In this study, we utilized EEG data to explore the effects of mind mapping on divergent thinking skills, with a primary focus on the dynamics of the alpha band power, which is closely related to divergent thinking. The participants were university students learning foreign languages in Dalian, China. One group received foreign language translation teaching integrated with mind mapping training (experimental group), while the other group received regular foreign language translation teaching (control group). The task-related alpha band power of participants engaged in divergent thinking tasks shows that participants in the experimental group exhibited superior divergent thinking skills, as evidenced by greater elevations in alpha band power within the anterior frontal lobe (M = 0.582, SD = 0.301), frontal lobe (M = 0.312, SD= 0.103), frontocentral lobe (M = 0.183, SD = 0.256), and temporal lobe (M = 0.205, SD = 0.176). In addition, they displayed significantly greater alpha band activity in the right cerebral hemisphere (M = 0.418, SD = 0.271), further highlighting the unique neural patterns linked with divergent thinking. The empirical results indicate that mind mapping training is an effective method for enhancing students’ divergent thinking skills.
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spelling doaj-art-424e2ce8b65446378fc76e0320c8bdfb2025-01-24T13:20:04ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-01-0115261310.3390/app15020613Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG DataTing Liu0Zhisheng Wang1Hao Yu2School of International Business Communication, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian 116025, ChinaResearch Institute of Photonics, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, ChinaSchool of Information and Communication Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, ChinaAs a translation strategy, mind mapping has a positive influence on the development of students’ divergent thinking skills. However, research on how mind mapping affects divergent thinking has primarily relied on traditional testing methods, which mainly focus on completed translation tasks. There is still a lack of research using dynamic and procedural experimental methods. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of the most effective tools for identifying and analyzing cognitive processing. In this study, we utilized EEG data to explore the effects of mind mapping on divergent thinking skills, with a primary focus on the dynamics of the alpha band power, which is closely related to divergent thinking. The participants were university students learning foreign languages in Dalian, China. One group received foreign language translation teaching integrated with mind mapping training (experimental group), while the other group received regular foreign language translation teaching (control group). The task-related alpha band power of participants engaged in divergent thinking tasks shows that participants in the experimental group exhibited superior divergent thinking skills, as evidenced by greater elevations in alpha band power within the anterior frontal lobe (M = 0.582, SD = 0.301), frontal lobe (M = 0.312, SD= 0.103), frontocentral lobe (M = 0.183, SD = 0.256), and temporal lobe (M = 0.205, SD = 0.176). In addition, they displayed significantly greater alpha band activity in the right cerebral hemisphere (M = 0.418, SD = 0.271), further highlighting the unique neural patterns linked with divergent thinking. The empirical results indicate that mind mapping training is an effective method for enhancing students’ divergent thinking skills.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/613EEG dataalpha band powerdivergent thinking skillsmind mapping
spellingShingle Ting Liu
Zhisheng Wang
Hao Yu
Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG Data
Applied Sciences
EEG data
alpha band power
divergent thinking skills
mind mapping
title Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG Data
title_full Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG Data
title_fullStr Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG Data
title_full_unstemmed Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG Data
title_short Mind Mapping Training’s Effects on Divergent Thinking Skills: Detection Based on EEG Data
title_sort mind mapping training s effects on divergent thinking skills detection based on eeg data
topic EEG data
alpha band power
divergent thinking skills
mind mapping
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/613
work_keys_str_mv AT tingliu mindmappingtrainingseffectsondivergentthinkingskillsdetectionbasedoneegdata
AT zhishengwang mindmappingtrainingseffectsondivergentthinkingskillsdetectionbasedoneegdata
AT haoyu mindmappingtrainingseffectsondivergentthinkingskillsdetectionbasedoneegdata