The Functional Connectivity Basis of Multicultural Experience and Its Relationship with Domain-Specific Creativity

Previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of multicultural experience (ME), especially its impact on creativity. However, the neural association of ME in the brain and its effect on domain-specific creativity is unclear. In this study, we selected the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), inferior parietal lobule, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) as the regions of interest according to the social cognition system (self-representation) and nonsocial system (cognitive closure) in culture. Furthermore, we used a seed-based connectivity approach with the resting-state functional MRI (rsFC) method to explore the neural basis of ME and its relationship with domain-specific creativity in 232 college students. The behavioral results showed that ME was positively correlated with domain-specific creativity in visual arts, dance, music, creative writing, and humor. Furthermore, individual differences in ME were negatively correlated with the connectivity strength of the VMPFC and middle temporal gyrus (MTG)/superior occipital gyrus and the connectivity strength of the IFG and left lingual gyrus (LING)/right superior temporal gyrus. Moderation analysis indicated that strong VMPFC and MTG connectivity enhanced the relationship between ME and creative writing, and weak IFG and left LING connectivity enhanced the relationship between ME and visual arts. These results suggest that rsFC between the prefrontal lobe and temporal and occipital lobes reflects the neural basis of ME and further influences the link between ME and domain-specific creativity. In summary, the present findings demonstrate the functional connectivity basis of ME and provide neural evidence for the benefit and condition of ME on domain-specific creativity.