How Knowledge Structure and Form Shape Scientific Divergent Thinking: Evidence from Semantic Network Analysis and the Scientific Divergent Application Task

Scientific creativity depends not only on what learners know but also on how knowledge is organized, yet evidence in scientific domains remains limited. Across two experiments, we examined whether knowledge structures predict scientific divergent thinking and whether knowledge form shapes creativity through its effects on these structures. Undergraduate students completed the Scientific Divergent Application Task (SDAT), which requires generating novel applications based on learned scientific principles. In Pilot Experiment (n = 39), semantic memory networks constructed from participants’ knowledge representations revealed that network connectivity and efficiency were positively associated with better SDAT performance, whereas recall accuracy was unrelated. In Experiment 2 (n = 126), holding informational content constant, knowledge forms significantly influenced performance: both associative and schematic knowledge promoted scientific divergent thinking more effectively than case-based knowledge, whereas schematic knowledge further demonstrated advantages in originality and knowledge network connectivity and efficiency. These findings suggest that knowledge organization, rather than retention alone, underlies individual differences in scientific creativity, and that schematic presentation may support creative application by fostering more efficient knowledge structures.