Understanding the relationships among dispositional mindfulness, PsyCap, creative motivation, and creative
1Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|August 1, 2025
Summary
Dispositional mindfulness enhances creativity by boosting psychological capital (PsyCap) and creativity motivation. These positive psychological factors sequentially mediate the impact of mindfulness on idea production, creative combination, and problem-solving skills.
Area of Science:
- Positive Psychology
- Organizational Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Positive psychology theory and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory provide frameworks for understanding well-being and resource management.
- Dispositional mindfulness, psychological capital (PsyCap), and creativity motivation are key positive psychological constructs.
- Understanding the interplay of these constructs is crucial for fostering creative potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sequential mediating role of PsyCap and creativity motivation in the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and creativity.
- To examine how dispositional mindfulness influences different facets of creative performance.
- To elucidate the psychological mechanisms underlying enhanced creativity through positive personal attributes and resources.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative study involving 658 Hong Kong undergraduates (51.3% female, mean age = 20.9 years).
- Validated Chinese versions of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, revised Compound PsyCap Scale, and Creativity Motivation Scale were used for measurement.
- Creativity was assessed multidimensionally using divergent thinking, gestalt combination, and creative problem-solving tests.
Main Results:
- Dispositional mindfulness significantly and positively predicted all three dimensions of creativity: idea production, creative combination, and restructuring problem solving.
- Psychological capital (PsyCap) and creativity motivation sequentially and partially mediated the effect of dispositional mindfulness on creativity.
- A residual direct effect indicated potential unexamined pathways influencing creativity.
Conclusions:
- Dispositional mindfulness positively impacts creativity through the sequential mediation of PsyCap and creativity motivation.
- The findings highlight the importance of cultivating mindfulness and psychological resources to enhance creative functioning.
- This research contributes to understanding the psychological mechanisms linking positive personal attributes to creative performance.
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