Thinking Creatively at Work: Organization Influences on Creative Problem Solving

In this article, we consider how peoples' creative problem solving efforts are influenced by characteristics of the organizations in which they work. We begin examining the situations which call for creative problem solving at work. We then consider the kinds of processes people must apply to solve these problems. Additionally, we describe certain organizational variables that might help or hinder effective application of these processes.' Some conclusions-are drawn concerning how these variables act to influence creative problem solving at work. The implications of these observations for future research are discussed.     

创造性问题解决中的联想能力及其作用

长期以来,研究者一直认为联想能力与创造力之间存在着紧密的联系,但相关的实证研究并不能很好地支持这一论断,这可能是由于联想能力的界定不清所造成的。本研究梳理了以往研究中联想能力与创造力的关系,在此基础上辨析了联想能力测验所反映的实质,进一步提出了一个创造性问题解决中联想能力的作用模型：（1）联想能力主要作用于创造性问题解决中的重构阶段;（2）存在三种相对独立的联想能力,它们对空间类顿悟问题和言语类顿悟问题的影响不同;（3）联想内容中经验关系的联想能力与领域一般创造力关联最密切。     

The Role of an Incubation Period in Creative Problem Solving

ABSTRACT

This experimental study tested the spreading-activation hypothesis that an incubation period helps to sensitize problem solvers to relevant concepts. The study also tested the selective forgetting hypothesis that an incubation period helps to desensitize problem solvers to irrelevant concepts. Chinese Chess GO players, 28 experts and 29 novices, solved 18 remote association tasks (RAT) and lexical decision tasks (LDTs) under immediate, rest, and incubation conditions. After each RAT, a set of LDTs incorporating the RAT solution and the irrelevant concept were presented, either immediately, or after a 2-min delay, or after a 2-min delay filled with incubation tasks. The findings of the study support the spreading activation hypothesis and suggest that spreading activation occurs only in a fixated mind. No support was found for the selective forgetting hypothesis.     

The Pronoun Bias Effect Strikes Again: A Reply to Pynte and Colonna

The gender of an initial adjectival phase (AP) influences the analysis of a phrase which is a potential main clause subject in French. Pynte and Colonna (this issue) establish this generalization but analyze it without considering critical aspects of sentence structure, specifically, the fact that the AP has a null pronominal subject. If grammars contain a violable constraint requiring coreference between the pronominal subject of an initial subordinate phrase and the subject of the main clause, then in Pynte and Colonna's study perceivers must choose on-line between an analysis which satisfies the same subject constraint and one which doesn't. From this perspective, it is expected that the subject analysis of the ambiguous phrase predominates. Further, on this view, the preference fits with independent generalizations about language such as the existence of switch-reference languages which obligatorily mark the coreference relation between the initial subordinate subject and the main clause subject. It also fits with already established facts about language processing, such as Cowart and Cairns' (1987) Pronoun Bias Effect.     

The Effects of Zhongyong Thinking Priming on Creative Problem‐Solving

Zhongyong thinking is a common approach adopted by Chinese people to solve problems encountered in life and work. Based on the four modes of zhongyong thinking proposed by Pang (Social Sciences in China, 1, 1980, 75), this study chooses the “neither A nor B” form, which represents the “mean” (中) characteristics of zhongyong thinking, called eclectic thinking, and the “both A and B” form, which reflects the “harmony” (和) feature, called integrated thinking. This study primed eclectic thinking and integrated thinking, respectively, through self‐compiled problem situations, and 150 college students and postgraduates students were the participants. Experiment 1 explored the role of the priming of zhongyong thinking in three classic creative thinking tasks: a divergent thinking test, remote association test, and insight problem‐solving test. Experiment 2 further examined the effect of priming of zhongyong thinking on “market investment problems” with higher ecological validity. The findings show that priming integrated thinking can improve remote associates test performance and promote creative solutions to market investment problems, but there is no significant impact on the scores of divergent thinking test and insight problem‐solving; priming eclectic thinking has no significant impact on any of the subsequent creative tasks. This study shows that integrated thinking primes cognitive processing related to information association and information integration, promoting subsequent creative tasks.     

Celebrating 50 years of Reflective Practice: Versions of Creative Problem Solving

The original work of Alex Osborn making the creative process more explicit, and the following 50 years of research and development on creative problem solving, have made an important and wide‐spread contribution to those interested in the deliberate development of creative talent. This article provided a summary of the many versions of creative problem solving and the key scholarly issues underpinning their development for one main group of collaborators. Future research and development needs were also identified.     

Changing the Rules: Education for Creative Thinking

Many countries are increasing the priority schools assign to creative thinking. This departure from expectations of the past is considered a way to enhance productivity and improve mental health. But, efforts to replace customary education practices are often met with resistance, a loss of harmony, and challenges which are unforeseen. This presentation describes ways schools and families could provide greater support for creative behavior. The rules guiding instruction at all levels of education should be revised. Some recommended changes implicate teacher training, methods for the evaluation of learning, use of technology tools, expectations of students, and adult willingness to take into account student impressions about how to improve schools.     

A Cross Cultural Examination of Creative Problem Solving Style: The Dutch Translation of VIEW

Creativity and Creative Problem Solving are globally important. This study examined the cross‐cultural applicability of creative problem solving styles by translating VIEW: An Assessment of Problem Solving Style from its native English into Dutch and examining its psychometric properties and preliminary validation evidence. In general, support was found for the Dutch translation of VIEW in that it performed similarly to its original with regard to item performance on factor analysis, had acceptable levels of internal consistency and stability over time, and correlated in a similar manner with two alternative measures of style. Implications for future translations were identified.