1. When prevention promotes creativity: the role of mood, regulatory focus, and regulatory closure
- Author
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Carsten K. W. De Dreu, Bernard A. Nijstad, Matthijs Baas, Research programme OB, and Arbeids- en Organisatie Psychologie (Psychologie, FMG)
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,DUAL PATHWAY ,Sociology and Political Science ,Social Psychology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,mood ,Emotions ,Poison control ,INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES ,Young Adult ,regulatory focus ,WORKING-MEMORY ,MOTIVATIONAL CUES ,motivation ,COGNITIVE CONTROL ,Task Performance and Analysis ,Humans ,Closure (psychology) ,Students ,Internal-External Control ,Problem Solving ,creativity ,POSITIVE AFFECT ,media_common ,Netherlands ,RECONCEPTUALIZING AROUSAL ,Analysis of Variance ,GOAL ATTAINMENT ,Goal orientation ,Cognitive flexibility ,Regulatory focus theory ,Social Control, Informal ,Creativity ,Affect ,Mood ,Feeling ,HEDONIC TONE ,IDEA GENERATION ,Female ,activation ,Psychology ,Social psychology ,Goals - Abstract
Promotion-focused states generally boost creativity because they associate with enhanced activation and cognitive flexibility. With regard to prevention-focused states, research evidence is less consistent, with some findings suggesting prevention-focused states promote creativity and other findings pointing to no or even negative effects. We proposed and tested the hypothesis that whether prevention-focused states boost creativity depends on regulatory closure (whether a goal is fulfilled or not). We predicted that prevention-focused states that activate the individual (unfulfilled prevention goals, fear) would lead to similar levels of creativity as promotion-focused states but that prevention-focused states that deactivate (closed prevention goals, relief) would lead to lower levels of creativity. Moreover, we predicted that this effect would be mediated by feelings of activation. Predictions were tested in 3 studies on creative insights and 1 on original ideation. Results supported predictions. Implications for self-regulation, motivation, mood, and creativity are discussed.
- Published
- 2011