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Thinking outside the box means thinking outside the search engine.

Daniel M Oppenheimer1, Mark T Patterson2

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Internet access boosts individual creativity but hinders group creativity. Groups with internet access generated fewer novel ideas, suggesting digital tools can limit collective creative fluency.

Keywords:
Alternative uses taskCreativityDigital toolsInternet accessNominal groups

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • The internet profoundly impacts information access and cognitive processes.
  • Understanding how digital tools influence creative thinking, especially in group settings, is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dual impact of internet access on individual versus group creativity.
  • To identify potential negative consequences of internet use on collective creative output.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial (N=244) using the alternative uses task.
  • Participants generated ideas for common objects (shield, umbrella) with or without internet access.
  • Reanalysis of existing datasets and examination of response quality (effectiveness, novelty, subjective creativity).

Main Results:

  • Individual creativity showed potential enhancement with internet access.
  • Groups provided with internet access produced significantly fewer novel solutions.
  • Converging evidence across different studies and operationalizations of creativity supported these findings.

Conclusions:

  • While the internet may aid individual idea generation, it can constrain collective creative fluency in groups.
  • Digital tools' influence on creative processes warrants further investigation, particularly regarding group dynamics.
  • The findings highlight a potential hidden cost of internet use for collaborative creativity.