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Embodied metaphors and creative "acts"
Angela K Y Leung1, Suntae Kim, Evan Polman
1School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University. angelaleung@smu.edu.sg
Psychological Science
|April 6, 2012
Summary
Embodying creativity metaphors, like "thinking outside the box," physically or mentally, boosts creative problem-solving skills. This research shows embodiment can generate novel ideas and connections.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Embodied Cognition
- Creativity Research
Background:
- Creativity is a valuable skill, with common advice using metaphors like 'think outside the box'.
- These metaphors imply a link between physical actions and creative thought processes.
- Embodied cognition research highlights the connection between the body and mind.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if enacting creativity metaphors enhances creative problem-solving abilities.
- To explore the role of embodied cognition in fostering creativity.
- To determine if embodiment can facilitate the generation of new ideas.
Main Methods:
- Five studies were conducted to test the hypothesis.
- Participants physically or psychologically embodied metaphors related to creativity.
- Creative problem-solving was assessed, including convergent and divergent thinking.
Main Results:
- Both physical and psychological embodiment of creativity metaphors significantly improved problem-solving.
- Embodiment enhanced convergent thinking (finding a single best solution).
- Embodiment boosted divergent thinking, including fluency, flexibility, and originality of ideas.
Conclusions:
- Enacting creativity metaphors through embodiment is an effective strategy to enhance creative problem-solving.
- Embodied cognition can activate cognitive processes essential for generating novel ideas and connections.
- This study provides the first evidence that embodiment facilitates the creation of new ideas, not just retrieval of existing knowledge.
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