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Related Experiment Videos

Self-awareness, self-evaluation, and creativity.

Paul J Silvia1, Ann G Phillips

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 27402-6170, USA. p_silvia@uncg.edu

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|July 20, 2004
PubMed
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Self-evaluation hinders creativity, but only when individuals do not believe they can improve. The potential for improvement acts as a protective factor, preserving creative performance despite self-scrutiny.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Self-evaluation can negatively impact creative thinking.
  • Objective self-awareness theory suggests perceived ability to improve may mitigate these effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the conditions under which self-evaluation influences creativity.
  • To test if the perceived ability to improve buffers against the negative effects of self-evaluation on creativity.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted, manipulating self-evaluation and perceived ability to improve.
  • Self-evaluation was varied through self-awareness and objective performance standards.
  • Creativity was assessed using tasks like generating remote associates and unusual uses for an object.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Self-evaluation consistently reduced creativity when participants did not expect to improve.
  • When participants felt they could improve, self-evaluation did not significantly impact creativity.
  • Findings support the buffering role of perceived ability to improve.

Conclusions:

  • The impact of self-evaluation on creativity is contingent on the belief in one's ability to improve.
  • Understanding self-motives is crucial for addressing creativity and defensiveness.
  • Interventions aimed at fostering a sense of improvement may enhance creativity under evaluative conditions.