Improvisation Improves Brain Function — Scientific Proof

I have been a creativity practitioner in one form another since the late ’90s. Prior to that, I had been in creative fields such as advertising, communications, and design. Later, I became a creative catalyst for what are commonly called brainstorming sessions. I was an “idea-thinker-upper” for hire. I first learned CPS (Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving) at CPSI (The Creative Problem Solving Institute) in 2001. I was becoming an expert in the field of creativity and in 2006 I made it official when I received a Master’s of Science in Creativity & Change Leadership from the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University (SUNY).

Almost as soon as I began this creativity quest, my cohorts and colleagues discerned that I had a sense of humor, and shortly after that, a strong background in improvisational theatre. I studied at The Second City, Chicago’s esteemed mecca of creativity, competed at The Improv Olympic (now iO), and performed in several award-winning improv and sketch comedy groups through most of the ’80s and into the ’90s. My past shadowed me, but to good effect, because improvisation is a powerful tool to use in conjunction with CPS to maximize creativity. Improvisation is creativity in “Flow” — the movie on the screen, while CPS is the script. The discrete steps of CPS provide the flow chart, while improvisation enriches the process in ways that are seamless and often effortless. It is amazing thing to behold.

I will write about the fusion of Improvisation & CPS in a later blog. We dubbed that process “Innovisation™️. The point here is to underscore the profound benefits of improvisation training on the human brain. The benefits are so in evidence that improvisation is ubiquitously taught not only as a performance art, but as a life skill. I have taught this to kids K-4 at The Laughing Academy, tweens and teens on the autism spectrum at Camp Yes, And, and adults in corporations, non-profits, and at conferences internationally.

The article “7 Research-Backed Benefits of Improv Comedy” appeared recently in “Psychology Today”. I will list the 7 benefits here. (The link to the entire article is at the bottom of this post.)

“1. Improv activates language and creativity centers in the brain.

Improv changes the brain. In a series of studies, Charles Limb and his team put jazz improvisers, freestyle rappers, and improv comedians into fMRI machines. Functional MRIs measure blood flow in the brain, giving us a better picture of which brain areas are more and less activated. Limb and team found that during improv, an area called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tends to be less active, and an area known as the medial prefrontal cortex becomes more active. This means that while improvising, a brain region associated with self-judgment “quiets down,” and a creative and language brain center “speaks up.” This inverse relationship is known as weak connectivity in the executive control network and is more generally linked with flow states and creativity.

2. Improv helps promote brain connectivity.

Improv also helps with brain wave coherence. In another study, Mary DeMichele and Scott Kuenneke placed qEEG electrodes on adolescents’ heads and measured their brain wave activity before and after 20 minutes of improv. They found that improv helped with brain wave coherence. Since trauma negatively affects coherence, they propose that improv could be a helpful treatment for people with complex trauma since it may help them connect better with others and help brain regions work better together.

3. Improv boosts creativity.

Improv helps with divergent thinking. There are many studies linking improv and enhanced divergent thinking. James Mourey led one study that examined how improv affected marketing students’ divergent thinking, collaboration, and self-efficacy. To test their divergent thinking, Mourey had participants devise as many uses for a paper clip as possible. This is a classic divergent thinking test. Mourey found that a ten-week improv course generally helped participants develop more creative uses for the paper clip compared to a control group.

4. Improv reduces social anxiety.

It may seem counterintuitive, but studies show that improv can reduce social anxiety. Peter Felsman has led two studies that measure how improv affected people’s reported social anxiety. He found that improv was generally helpful in lowering people’s social anxiety, even after just 20 minutes of an improv intervention.

5. Improv reduces uncertainty intolerance.

Uncertainty intolerance is the psychological gauge of how not-okay someone is with the unknown. Peter Felsman led a study that showed that, generally, improv helps reduce people’s uncertainty intolerance and that this decrease is linked with a decrease in social anxiety. In short, improv makes many people more comfortable with uncertainty, which makes them more likely to face social situations.

6. Improv boosts confidence.

Improv increases interpersonal and performance confidence. Sirke Seppänen measured student teachers’ confidence with questionnaires before and after improv interventions and found that, compared to a control group, improv increased people’s interpersonal confidence, which is the belief that one can interact with others successfully. Seppanen also found that performance confidence increased thanks to improv, and this boost persisted a year after the improv intervention. In general, people with lower confidence levels before the study saw the biggest increases in their confidence levels.

7. Improv decreases stress.

Improv has also been shown to decrease stress before a performance task. Seppänen led a study that compared participants’ stress levels before and after publicly answering a math question. They used questionnaires, saliva samples to test cortisol levels, and electrodes to measure stress levels. They found that the group who participated in a seven-week improv course were generally less stressed before the math task. Much like Sepannen’s findings with confidence, the participants with the lowest confidence levels reported the largest stress-mitigation effects.

Improv’s Psychological Benefits

In just one decade, researchers have done exciting research and begun to paint a more complete picture of improv’s benefits and how we can use it as a therapeutic treatment. Improv boosts creativity and confidence and decreases anxiety and uncertainty intolerance. In a world where we seem to be growing farther apart and becoming more anxious and divided, improv may be one way we can get out of our heads and work well with others.”

I will end with this — Often I am asked by someone who is seeking to improve their lives or to make meaningful changes — It ranges from people who just want to put more pep in their step to those who are seeking to change careers, move across the country, and find a loving life partner all-at once. So to you, the reader, I offer the same advice: “Take an improv class”. One course, one class can make a big difference and its ripple effects will be enduring.

The link to the “Psychology Today” article:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/play-your-way-sane/202303/7-research-backed-benefits-of-improv-comedy