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Related Concept Videos

Creative Thinking01:25

Creative Thinking

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Creative thinking encompasses innovative and unconventional methods for addressing challenges, often leading to groundbreaking solutions. Instead of focusing solely on enhancing existing systems, such as increasing smartphone battery capacity, creative thinking might inspire advancements like energy-efficient batteries or processors that minimize power consumption. This multidimensional approach underscores the importance of exploring novel pathways to innovation.
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Cognitive Learning01:21

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The biography of discovery: How unintentional discovery of resources influences choice and preference.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2023
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Unintentional Inception: When a Premium Is Offered to Unintentional Creations.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
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Unintentional Outcomes as a Catalyst for Brainstorming.

Taly Reich1, Alexander G Fulmer2, Kelly B Herd3

  • 1NYU Stern School of Business, New York, USA.

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|March 28, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Recalling past unintentional outcomes can boost idea generation. Reflecting on these events motivates individuals to regain control, enhancing brainstorming quantity and quality in malleable domains.

Keywords:
domain malleabilityideationintentional outcomesthreatened controlunintentional outcomes

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Companies utilize ideation exercises for innovation.
  • Existing methods for enhancing ideation quantity and quality are varied.
  • Understanding psychological drivers of creativity is crucial for organizational success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and validate a novel strategy for promoting ideation.
  • To investigate the psychological mechanism underlying this ideation strategy.
  • To identify moderators influencing the effectiveness of this strategy.

Main Methods:

  • A field experiment with marketing and sales employees.
  • Four laboratory studies across various domains.
  • Measuring ideation quantity and quality after prompting reflection on unintentional outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Prompting reflection on unintentional outcomes significantly increased ideation.
  • The effect is driven by a motivation to regain threatened control.
  • The effect is moderated by domain malleability; it is stronger in malleable domains.

Conclusions:

  • Reflecting on past unintentional outcomes is an effective strategy to enhance ideation.
  • Control restoration motivation is a key psychological mechanism.
  • Organizational managers and individuals can leverage this strategy, particularly in domains perceived as malleable.