Take Some Time to Feel This Over: Relations Between Mood Responses,Indecision, and Creativity

Previous characterizations of rumination do not account for why a reflective style of ruminative response to negative mood, as opposed to a brooding style, is linked with greater creativity—especially when indecision is high. Moreover, less is known about ruminative responses to positive mood. The purpose of this investigation is to demonstrate the utility of a new conceptualization of rumination styles that explains their differential effects across negative and positive moods. Using tenets from psychological self-distance theory, reflective and brooding styles were respectively characterized as self-distant and self-immersed, and they were measured with the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), a commonly used indicator of ruminative responses to negative mood. Self-distant and self-immersed responses to positive mood were measured with an RRS adaptation. In this sample, only a self-immersed response to positive mood predicted creativity when indecision was high. Results demonstrate contrasting links between creativity and self-perspectives when responding to negative and positive moods.     

Creators and Presses: The Person–Situation Interaction in Negative Creativity

Given the recent emphasis on exploring valence in creative behavior, this study examines negative creativity via a person–situation interactionist perspective. By manipulating goal valence (uses or misuses) and object valence (positive or negative), four conditions of an adapted Divergent Thinking task were used to predict positive and negative creativity. Participants (N = 178, 103 females, M_age = 23.82, SD = 4.03, range: 18–38) responded to a single condition along with the Big Five and Dark Triad personality scales in a between-groups design. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that goal and object valence significantly explained variance in valences of creative responses, beyond individual differences of personality. Furthermore, the congruence between goal and object valence predicted valenced creativity; that is, the positive objects and goals condition yielded more positive-original ideas, and the negative objects and goals condition yielded more negative-original ones. Object valence alone (material presses) did not contribute significantly to explaining valenced creativity. Negative-original responses were inversely related to conscientiousness, and directly to intellect/imagination and secondary psychopathy. Thus, negative creativity was attributed relatively more to person as compared to situation variables. Results are discussed from a valence-based and interactionist perspective.     

Mood and Creativity over Time in a Bipolar Participant

When depression alternates with mania, as in a bipolar affective disorder, creativity might be enhanced. To investigate this, we employed a single‐subject design, looking at both affective space and the spectral covariation of mood and creativity in a participant presenting with bipolar affective disorder. The study was conducted over a period of 54 days, and employed a standard measure of mood (the Brief Mood Introspection Scale) and a standard task of creativity (Alternative Uses Task). Both positive affect and negative affect appear to be somewhat undifferentiated for this participant, and her mood space does not conform to that described by the accepted major dimensions of Arousal and Pleasure. Conceivably, this is because of her rapid mood fluctuations. A 2.7‐day periodicity was found for Tired, Peppy, Nervous, and Calm, on the one hand, and ideational fluency, ideational flexibility, and originality, on the other. In addition, a 9‐day periodicity was common to Happy, Sad, and Gloomy—all three affects clustering in the same affective space—together with both ideational flexibility and originality. This finding brings into question the relationship between creativity and both positive and negative mood.     

Distinguishing between level and impact of rumination as predictors of depressive symptoms: An experience sampling study

Rumination—repetitively thinking about one's emotional state, its causes and consequences—exacerbates negative mood and plays an important role in the aetiology and maintenance of depression. Yet, it is unclear whether increased vulnerability to depression is associated with simply how much a person ruminates, or the short-term impact rumination has on a person's negative mood. In the current study, we distinguish between the level versus the impact of rumination, and we examine how each uniquely predicts changes in depressive symptoms over time in an undergraduate sample. Using experience sampling, we assessed students’ (N = 101) subjective experiences of positive and negative affect and their use of rumination and distraction in daily life for seven days. Participants also reported their depressive symptoms before and after the experience sampling. Increases in depressive symptoms over the week were predicted by how much people ruminated, but not by its impact on negative mood.     

The Measurement of Negative Creativity: Metrics and Relationships

Although the dark side of creativity and negative creativity are shaping into legitimate subconstructs, measures to assess the same remain to be validated. To meet this goal, two studies assessed the convergent, predictive, and criterion-related validities of two valence-inclusive creativity measures. One measure assessed the self-report endorsement of social creativity, and the other was an Alternate Uses Test (AUT) assessing generation of nonsocial creativity. Participants (N = 129, 88 women, M_age = 25.09 years, SD = 10.03) completed the two creativity measures and three Dark Triad personality scales (narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism) through an online form. Correlations and multiple regressions were employed in the studies. Study 1 assessed the convergent and predictive validities between the two measures. Results indicated a strong convergence on the measurement of positive creativity, but not on negative creativity. Study 2 used the Dark Triad of personality as an external criterion to evaluate the criterion-related validity of the measurement of negative creativity. Although the Dark Triad predicted the self-reported endorsement of negative creativity, there was no discernable relationship with the generation of negative-creative responses on the AUT. Implications of current results, and suggestions for future metrics of valence-inclusive creativity are discussed.     

Flexibility of Labor, Well-Being, and Stress

After a short introduction into the changing nature of our society and organizations, we outline two kinds of flexibility of labor: qualitative flexibility, that is the degree to which people who work in or for a certain organization can and do perform different tasks, and quantitative flexibility, that is, varying the quantity of personnel and their working hours. Then, the different ways in which we organize our work and organizations are dealt with in terms of quantitative and qualitative flexibility. Next, we survey these ways of organizing on the degree to which they moderate the positive individual outcomes, or individual goals, of work. It can be concluded that quantitatively flexible work, besides some minor positive consequences, may have serious negative consequences for one's well-being, health, and personal development, while qualitative flexibility may have many more advantages, though it may lead to a devastating task overload. Last, we explore some ways to alleviate these negative effects.     

The Creative Side of the Dark Triad

This study associates the subclinical dark triad (DT) of personality—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, and their composite—with negative creativity. An instrument developed by the author assessed the likelihood of engaging in creativity, where negative creativity was defined as an act that is original and useful to the individual. The strength of association between creativity, positivity, and negativity was assessed via an Implicit Association Test. The DT scales, Creativity measure, and the IAT were administered to 51 Indian adults (M _age = 22.3 years, 27 women). Multiple regression analyses revealed positive associations between narcissism and positive creativity, and between psychopathy and negative creativity. Further, the composite DT score predicted engagement in negative creativity. The associative strength between negativity and creativity on the IAT was not significant, though corollaries were drawn. Limitations and contributions of this study are outlined, and suggestions for future research are summarized.     

Predicting Adolescent Drinking From Alcohol Expectancy Values: A Comparison of Additive,Interactive, and Nonlinear Models1

Additive, interactive, and nonlinear models of alcohol expectancy values were compared using survey data from 1,758 high school students. Expectancies and values independently predicted drinking in the additive model. Expectancies were more important as predictors than were values, and negative expectancies were more important than positive expectancies. Significant expectancy-value interactions also were found. Drinking was highest when positive consequences were believed to be likely and desirable and was lowest when negative consequences were believed to be likely and undesirable. Significant nonlinearities indicated that beliefs about negative consequences had greater effects at lower levels of likelihood and evaluation whereas beliefs about positive consequences had greater effects at higher levels of likelihood and evaluation. However, the interactive and nonlinear effects were small.     

Defining Creativity with Discovery

The standard definition of creativity has enabled significant empirical and theoretical advances, yet contains philosophical conundrums concerning the nature of novelty and the role of recognition and values. This work offers an act of conceptual valeting that addresses these issues. In doing so, creativity definitions are extended through the use of discovery. Drawing on dispositional realist philosophy, we outline why adding the discovery and bringing into being of new possibilities to the definition of creativity can aid theoretical understanding and empirical investigation. Having outlined the case for defining creativity with discovery, three distinct types of discovery of possibility, within four domains of creative action, and two types of bringing into being are examined for their theoretical and empirical value. This article concludes with a reflection on future research into the identification and development of creative potential.     

Do performance approach‐oriented individuals generate creative ideas? The roles of outcome instrumentality and task persistence

The literature is inconclusive about the positive and negative effects of performance approach goal orientation (PAGO) (i.e., a focus on demonstrating high performance and outperforming others) on creativity. To address this issue, this study examines when and how PAGO stimulates or hinders employee creativity. Drawing on trait activation theory and a self‐regulatory perspective, we propose that outcome instrumentality (i.e., the perception that one will receive desired organizational outcomes when performing well) moderates the effects of PAGO on task persistence bidirectionally, which, in turn, facilitates or hinders employee creativity. Results based on a two‐wave, multi‐source field survey provided strong support for our hypotheses. We found that the relationship between PAGO and task persistence was positive when outcome instrumentality was high but became negative when outcome instrumentality was low. Moreover, we found a moderated mediation effect, such that the indirect effect of PAGO on creativity through task persistence was positive when outcome instrumentality was high but negative when outcome instrumentality was low. These findings extend the PAGO literature by elucidating the goodness and badness of PAGO and provide practical implications on how to manage performance approach‐oriented employees to capitalize on their creative potentials and minimize the possible detrimental effects of PAGO on creativity.     

Morality,reasoning and upbringing

This paper examines the relationship between morality and reasoning in a general sense. Following a broadly Aristotelian framework, it is shown that reasoning well about morality requires good character and a grounding in virtue and experience. Topic neutral ‘critical thinking’ on its own is not enough and may even be detrimental to morality. This has important consequences both for philosophy and for education. While morality is objective and universal, it should not be seen purely in terms of the intellectual grasp of true propositions. As Simone Weil shows, it emerges from very basic aspects of our nature. As well as reasoning in an abstract sense we need what Pascal calls esprit de finesse based in our humanity as a whole, in sens, raison et coeur. The paper concludes with some reflections on our propensity to fail morally and on the relationship between virtue and happiness.     

Commentary on Malevolent Creativity

In Malevolent creativity: A functional model of creativity in terrorism and crime, Cropley, Kaufman, and Cropley (this issue) insightfully highlight two important aspects of the creative process. First, although it may not be popular nor initially obvious to discuss negatively applied, malevolent creativity, or terrorism/crime as potentially creative acts, it is certainly to our detriment not to if we truly seek to understand the full-spectrum under which the creative process operates. The second issue examined is the process by which a creative product's novelty declines with the passing of time. Each are briefly discussed.     

Information search and mental representation in risky decision making: The advantages first principle

In three experiments the problem is investigated how people identify early in the decision process those alternatives that are worthwhile to be examined in more detail. We assume that decision makers employ the Advantages first Principle: They first search for information about positive outcomes and then focus their information search (e.g., for negative consequences or for risk defusing operators) on those alternatives that appear attractive after this initial evaluation. In Experiment 1 (120 participants), initial information about consequences was varied for eight alternatives (no information, positive consequences, negative, or mixed for four alternatives). In all conditions, the great majority of participants followed both aspects of the Advantages first Principle. In Experiment 2, 60 participants decided in two quasi‐realistic scenarios with two alternatives each. Initial information was presented so that one alternative had better positive consequences, worse negative consequences, or both. In all conditions, more information was searched for in the initially better alternative. In Experiment 3 (20 participants) the Advantages first Principle was not only confirmed for a scenario but also for choices in traditional gambling tasks with two and eight alternatives, respectively. Participants could win or lose real money. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Supervisor Emotionally Intelligent Behavior and Employee Creativity

In a national study of employees across industries (N = 14,645), we examined the role of supervisor emotionally intelligent behavior for employee opportunity to grow, their affect at work, and creativity/innovation at work. Employees reported on their supervisors' emotionally intelligent behavior (perceiving, using, understanding, and managing emotions), and self‐reported about their job experiences and creativity/innovation at work. Supervisor emotionally intelligent behavior was related to employee affect at work assessed using both open‐ended questions and emotion rating scales. Furthermore, supervisor emotionally intelligent behavior was linked to employee creativity/innovation through its effect on employee opportunity to grow and higher experience of positive affect (supporting a serial mediation model). We discuss the implications of the results for creativity/innovation research and innovation management.     

The Myths of Heaven-Sent Creativity: Toward a Perhaps Less Democratic But More Down-to-Earth Understanding

Creativity is surrounded by a cluster of long-held beliefs—referred to here as myths—which regard it as confined to aesthetic/spiritual domains and as a divine gift to a tiny few, and thus render it ineluctable, ineffable and inscrutable. As a result, treating it as part of normal psychological functioning and emphasizing its usefulness seems almost blasphemous, and is regarded by some as devaluing creative talent or even rendering the idea of creativity meaningless. Indeed, there really does seem to be a danger of commodifying creativity and reducing it to fast food creativity—attractively packaged but lacking genuine nutritional value. However, a phase model of the process of creativity makes it possible to distinguish between sublime creativity, mundane creativity, and commodified creativity without attributing the former to forces beyond mere human existence. This conceptualization has practical consequences for, for instance, education.     

Choice patterns reveal qualitative individual differences among discounting of delayed gains,delayed losses,and probabilistic losses

A new probabilistic losses questionnaire as well as Kirby's delayed gains questionnaire and a previously developed delayed losses questionnaire were administered to a large online sample. Almost all participants showed the positive discounting choice pattern expected on the Kirby questionnaire, decreasing their choice of a delayed gain as time to its receipt increased. In contrast, approximately 15% of the participants showed negative discounting on the delayed losses questionnaire and/or the probabilistic losses questionnaire, decreasing their choice of an immediate loss as time to a delayed loss decreased and/or decreasing their choice of a certain loss as likelihood of the probabilistic loss increased. Mixture model analysis confirmed the existence of these negative discounting subgroups. The inconsistent findings observed in previous research involving delayed/probabilistic losses may be due to differences in the proportion of negative discounters who participated in previous studies. Further research is needed to determine how negative discounting of delayed and probabilistic losses manifests itself in everyday decisions. It should be noted that the presence of individuals who show atypical choice patterns when losses are involved may pose challenges for efforts to modify discounting in order to ameliorate behavioral problems, especially because many such problems concern choices that have negative consequences, often delayed and/or probabilistic.     

Associations of Trait Emotional Intelligence with Social Support,Work Engagement,and Creativity in Japanese Eldercare Nurses

Work‐related resources can be positive antecedents of employee work engagement (WE) and creativity. Although trait emotional intelligence (EI) and social support may be crucial resources in nursing, their relationships with WE and creativity remain unclear. Hence, with special focus on the role of trait EI, we examined this relationship by applying the job demands‐resources (JD‐R) model. The participants were 489 eldercare nurses in Japan (female: n = 401; male: n = 88; age = 39.5 ± 11.0 years). The results showed positive associations between EI and the other studied variables. Furthermore, moderated mediation analyses revealed that higher trait EI enhanced the positive association among the triad of social support, WE, and creativity. The findings provide additional evidence that, in nurses, trait EI may be a noteworthy personal resource for creativity in the relationship between social support and WE.     

Getting it right generally,but not precisely: learning the relation between multiple inputs and outputs

In real-world situations, people are often faced with the complex task of deciding which of many potential variables are affecting their own or others’ behavior, as well as noting which specific aspects of behavior are being affected. Although it is common for professionals who encounter such conditions to claim that they acquire accurate and specific knowledge from their experience, it is unclear that such confidence is justified. Using a managerial task, we examined participants’ ability to learn how various interventions affect various aspects of their employees’ performance. The results of three experiments reveal that although participants appear to avoid prescribing an intervention that has a positive effect on a primary performance measure and a negative side effect on a secondary measure, when asked directly about the impact of the intervention, they respond by reducing their judgments of its positive impact. This was true regardless of whether participants indicated clear knowledge of its negative side effect (Experiment 3) or did not (Experiments 1 and 2). Thus, participants appear to be automatically integrating across the effects on different outcome measures.     

Harm that does not hurt: Humour in coping with self-threat

We examined the affective and cognitive impact of humour on coping with self-threat. Research was based on an incongruity concept of humour that specifies humour as a state resulting from appraising an aversive incident as both harmful and as acceptable. An appraisal related procedural priming paradigm was used to induce humour. In Study 1 (N = 41 female students) the impact of humour on positive and negative affect following self-threat was examined. In Study 2 (N = 52 students; 94% women) we investigated the consequences of humour for a self-serving interpretation of failure, the awareness of harm, and subsequent performance. Relative to the control condition, humour increased positive affect, while not exclusively affecting negative affect, and increased the tendency for an external attribution of failure, while harm was clearly recognized. However, humour led to poorer subsequent performance, suggesting that humour may also have its costs.     

Age,Emotion Regulation Strategies,Temperament, Creative Drama,and Preschoolers' Creativity

Based on Yeh's (2004) Ecological Systems Model of Creativity Development, this study investigated the effects that age, the use of emotion regulation strategies, temperament, and exposure to creative drama instruction have on the development of creativity among preschool children. Participants were 1164‐ to 6‐year‐old preschool children. This study categorized the emotion regulation strategies used by preschool children and developed a creativity test which includes the measurement of usefulness, an indicator of creativity that has, until now, been ignored. The main findings are that (a) 6‐year‐olds outperform 4‐ and 5‐year‐olds in terms of creativity; (b) emotion regulation strategies as well as a positive temperament have positive effects on children's creativity; (c) creative drama instruction contributes to children's creativity; and (d) age group, emotion regulation strategies, temperament, and creative drama instruction can collectively predict children's creativity.