bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cerebral mechanisms of experimental hyperalgesia in fibromyalgia
Authors: Burgmer M. , Pfleiderer B. , Maihöfner C. , Gaubitz M. , Wessolleck E. , Heuft G. , Pogatzki‐Zahn E.
Published: December 2011

The present study examined the hyperresponsiveness of the central nervous system in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) related to mechanical hyperalgesia. The goals were to differentiate between increased pain ratings and hyperalgesia related either to peripheral or to central sensitization and to correlate with cerebral activation pattern. Seventeen patients and 17 healthy controls were examined, placing an experimental incision in the right volar forearm and causing tonic pain. Experimental pain, primary and secondary hyperalgesia were assessed during the time course of the experimental pain, and the changes in hyperalgesia were correlated to brain activation (functional magnetic resonance imaging). Patients with FMS experienced the experimental pain during the time course as more painful than healthy controls (Fscore = 3.93, pscore = 0.008). While they did not present a different course of primary hyperalgesia (Fscore = 1.01, pscore = 0.40), they did show greater secondary hyperalgesia (Fscore = 5.45, pscore = 0.004). In patients with FMS, the cerebral pattern corresponding to secondary hyperalgesia was altered. The activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was inversely correlated with secondary hyperalgesia in healthy controls (R = −0.34 p = 0.005); in patients, this correlation was disrupted (R = 0.19
p = 0.12). These findings point to an alteration of pain transmission at the central level in FMS (e.g., loss of inhibition) and might be related to changes in cerebral‐midbrain‐spinal mechanisms of pain inhibition.
Preoperative administration of etoricoxib in patients undergoing hip replacement causes inhibition of inflammatory mediators and pain relief
Authors: Renner B. , Walter G. , Strauss J. , Fromm M.F. , Zacher J. , Brune K.
Published: December 2011

Objective

Administering cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors preoperatively appears attractive since these drugs reduce post‐operative pain, but do not increase the risk of post‐operative bleeds, asthmatic attacks and stress‐related gastrointestinal ulcers. In a former investigation, we could show that post‐operative administration of etoricoxib reduces prostaglandin production in wound fluid, but the onset of action is variable due to delayed post‐operative absorption.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the preoperative administration of etoricoxib in patients undergoing hip replacement. They received 120 mg etoricoxib or placebo 2 h before surgery and 1 day after in a double‐blinded, randomized, parallel group design.

Results

A total of 11 patients were randomized (placebo n = 5; verum n = 6). We found high and constant levels of the drug in blood, central nervous system and wound fluid already at the end of surgery (tmax < 2 h). This was accompanied by inhibition of prostaglandin production in the wound tissue (treatment p < 0.05), suppression of interleukin 6 increase in plasma (treatment p < 0.01), and – despite existing standard pain relief procedures – higher satisfaction with analgesics (time vs. treatment p < 0.05) and less demand for opioids (treatment p < 0.01) and intrathecal bupivacaine (treatment p = 0.05) administration.

Conclusion

Administration of etoricoxib 2 h before surgery allows for an effective drug concentration in critical tissues, a reduction of the production of pro‐inflammatory mediators and for better pain relief.
Relative contributions of peripheral versus supraspinal or spinal opioid receptors to the antinociception of systemic opioids
Authors: Khalefa B.I. , Shaqura M. , Al‐Khrasani M. , Fürst S. , Mousa S.A. , Schäfer M.
Published: December 2011

The contribution of supraspinal, spinal or peripheral mu‐opioid receptors (MORs) to the overall antinociception of systemic centrally penetrating versus peripherally restricted opioids has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we examined paw pressure thresholds in Wistar rats with complete Freund's adjuvant hindpaw inflammation following different doses of intraplantar (i.pl.) as well as intravenous (i.v.) fentanyl (6.25–50 μg/kg), morphine (1–7.5 mg/kg) or loperamide (1–7.5 mg/kg). Antagonism of the i.v. mu‐opioid agonists by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), intrathecal (i.t.) or i.pl. naloxone‐methiodide (NLXM) revealed the relative contributions of supraspinal, spinal and peripheral MOR to the overall antinociceptive effects. In parallel, the MOR density at these three levels of pain transmission was assessed by radioligand binding. Antinociceptive effects of i.v. fentanyl and morphine, but not of the peripherally restricted loperamide were two‐ to threefold greater and longer lasting compared with their i.pl. administration. I.c.v. but not i.pl. NLXM significantly antagonized fentanyl's and morphine's antinociception by 70–80%, whereas i.t. NLXM reduced it by 20–30%. In contrast, antinociception of i.v. loperamide was abolished by i.pl. but not by i.c.v. or i.t. NLXM. In parallel, a respective 32‐ and sixfold higher MOR density in supraspinal and spinal versus peripheral sensory neurons was detected. In conclusion, in comparison with supraspinal and spinal opioid receptors, peripheral opioid receptors do not significantly contribute to the antinociception of systemic fentanyl and morphine during inflammatory pain. Antinociception of their i.v. administration was superior over both i.v and i.pl. loperamide, acting exclusively via peripheral MOR. These findings may guide the future development of novel peripherally restricted opioids.
Athletic Action as Creativity
Authors: BROWN GEORGE I. , GAYNOR DONALD
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT Describing an action theory of creativity, this paper introduces a time variable conception of incubation, and discusses the role of competition in creativity, the importance of awareness as preconscious functioning, the relationship of ego‐strength to this functioning, a calisthenic‐non‐calisthenic continuum and its relevance to athletic creativity, and group creativity in athletics. Suggestions are made for encouraging preconscious functioning in athletics and physical education programs. The significance of a focus on the development of non‐intellectual awareness as an essential component for creativity is indicated.
Creativity and the Rules of Rhetoric
Authors: WALTER OTIS M.
Published: December 2011

The rules of rhetoric do not incorporate the conditions necessary for creativity, and hence some of these rules may stifle. Creativity, however, seems to follow a vague pattern involving relatively long, and sometimes laborious sub‐steps that must be carefully executed if the final product is to be of worth. The speaker or writer must undergo a preparation period, involving both direct preparation and indirect preparation. Usually, he will also experience a plateau period. The moment of insight may occur suddenly, and often while he is indulging in relaxing activity. The period of refining, which is necessary to make the final product perceptably of merit involves checking, proving and stating the insight. These processes do not lead inevitably to creativity, and some of them may be repeated more than others; nevertheless, speakers and writers may be more creative by intentionally trying to follow them.
A Developmental Analysis of Playfulness as a Clue to Cognitive Style1
Authors: LIEBERMAN J. NINA
Published: December 2011

A quality of play labeled playfulness is hypothesized to become later a personality trait of the individual relating to cognitive style, particularly divergent thinking. Operationally, playfulness was defined, identified and measured in kindergartners as physical, social and cognitive spontaneity, manifest joy and sense of humor. The importance of exploring a possible developmental transformation in operational correlates of this trait at later age levels is discussed. Special emphasis is put on playfulness as a motivational aspect of divergent thinking during the adolescent years with a view of linking early identification and measurement of playfulness to prediction of creative potential.
Why There Were Relatively Few Eminent Women Creators
Authors: OCHSE RHONA
Published: December 2011

Researchers who have studied the characteristics of genius generally agree that the most salient characteristic of eminently creative people is persistent single‐minded dedication to work. It has also been found that eminently creative people tend to develop a particular type of skill at an early age, and to place high value on achievement in that area. Also typical of eminent creators is their need for solitude and lack of interruption.

In the past, intellectual achievement in women was little valued or encouraged, and women were given relatively little opportunity to develop skills upon which creative productivity seems to depend. They also enjoyed little uninterrupted solitude. Today, however, women are better able to develop intellectual skills‐but they are still more prey to interruption than men are, not only because their relatively strong need for social contact and intimacy leads them to seek out company.
Creativity and Bilingualism
Authors: RICCIARDELLI LINA A.
Published: December 2011

Summary of Studies

A number of studies have investigated the relationship between creativity and bilingualism. Twenty‐four such studies have been surveyed by the author and these are summarized in Table 1. Twenty of these have found bilinguals to perform better than monolinguals on creativity. Only one study by Withey (1974) has found no differences between the bilinguals and monolinguals, whilst three studies, on the whole, have found a monolingual superiority (Gowan & Torrance, 1965; Lemmon & Goggin, 1989; Torrance, Wu, Gowan & Aliotti, 1970).
Is The New Entrepreneurial Era Over?
Authors: DENNIS WILLIAM J.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT The United States experienced an outburst of entrepreneurial energy in the early 1970s that flooded through the 1980s. But, why did the outburst occur? And, why did it occur when it did? Long term trends including the changing role of women and the two‐income family, new technology, lower costs of business entry, and a supportive culture propped a general rise in entrepreneurial activity. However, economic turbulence, the baby boom generation and the residual of 1960s attitudes were the catalysts. Whether that outburst of entrepreneurial energy will continue through the 1990s is doubtful.
Sensational Thinking A Teaching/Learning Model for Creativity
Authors: O'NEILL SHARON , SHALLCROSS DORIS
Published: December 2011

Change, the acknowledged constant: The paradox of two seeming opposites contained as one. In the world today we find ourselves challenged by a multitude of paradoxical problems and our need to resolve these issues drives a change process, the nature of which is dynamic and complex. Dynamic change is recognized as a process of moving from one state or form to another, in ways that appear chaotic, non‐linear, and unpredictable (Gleick, 1987). This results from the interactions between and among individual component parts of a system (Gleick, 1987; Bohm & Peat, 1987; Goodwin, 1991), and studies to understand how and why this type of change occurs have found that dynamic change is a creative process that occurs naturally in physical, biological and social systems.
A Two Factor Taxonomy of Creative Bechavior
Authors: GUASTELLO STEPHEN J. , SHISSLER JAMES E.
Published: December 2011

Two empirical studies examined the similarities and differences between creative professionals in science and art. In the first, 16PF personality profiles of industrial scientists, musicians and artists, and general undergraduates (N = 99) showed no difference between scientific and artistic groups on the Creativity composite index, and both groups differed significantly from general undergraduates. There were a few significant differences on specific traits, however. In the second study, self‐reports of involvement in creative behavior collected from larger similar samples (N = 590) were factor analyzed. Two distinct but correlated factors (r = .32) emerged that separated artistic from scientific and business activity. The results indicated that people who specialize in one content domain often make contributions in other domains as well.
Personality Correlates of Depressive Style in Autobiographies of Creative Achievers
Authors: WALKER A. MARIE , KOESTNER RICHARD , HUM ANDREW
Published: December 2011

This study compared neurotic and depressive personality characteristics in creative achievers versus eminent but non‐creative achievers. Forty‐eight subjects' (25 men, 23 women) autobiographies were assessed by trained raters on personality using the California Q‐Set. Creative achievers included literary and visual artists whereas the control group consisted of political, military and social leaders. The Q‐Set ratings were used to assess the five factors of personality (neuroticism, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness). Neuroticism was further divided into subscales that assessed depressive style, impulsivity and anxiety. Results showed that creative achievers were rated significantly higher than controls on general neuroticism, as well as on depressive style and impulsivity. Creative achievers did not differ from controls in anxiety. It was also found that creative achievers were rated significantly higher than controls on openness to experience and agreeableness, but lower on conscientiousness. None of the effects for creativity was affected by subjects' sex.
The Effects of Musical Mood Induction on Creativity
Authors: ADAMAN JILL E. , BLANEY PAUL H.
Published: December 2011

A music mood induction was used to induce either elated, depressed, or neutral mood in 71 college undergraduates. The elated group scored significantly higher than the depressed group on mood ratings. Creativity measures administered to each group revealed that subjects in the elated and depressed groups showed significantly greater creativity than subjects in the neutral group. Findings were interpreted in light of existing research on the relationship between mood and creativity.
Facilitative Style, Individual Innovation, and Emergent Leadership in Problem Solving Groups
Authors: GUASTELLO STEPHEN J.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT This study responded to an issue raised in a recent review of leadership research regarding the lack of available data concerning leader characteristics and management of creative work groups. Specifically, the effects of facilitative leadership style and individual creative contributions on emergent leadership were assessed in an initially leaderless creative problem solving situation. Participants were 34 university security officers who were divided into four groups to play Island Commission. At the end of the session, participants rated each other on facilitative style, innovative contribution, and leadership behavior. Both independent variables made a significant contribution to perceptions of leadership (R = .82, p < .0001). Results are discussed in terms of leadership theory, and implications for personnel selection, training, and development of creative problem solving teams.
Creativity: A Knowledge Base, Metacognitive Skills, and Personality Factors
Authors: FELDHUSEN JOHN F.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT Three aspects of creative thinking and production were examined: (a) metacognitive processing, (b) the knowledge base, and (c) personality variables. It was concluded that all three are essential elements, that they operate interactively, and that the results of creative thinking and problem solving are best assessed through evaluation of the products.
Creatively Intelligent: Post‐Industrial Organizations and Intellectually Impaired Bureaucracies
Authors: AMBROSE DON
Published: December 2011

Today's successful organizations function much like creatively intelligent, individual brain‐mind systems. Unfortunately, many of the bureaucratic organizations we inherited from the industrial era function like individual minds of lesser intelligence. A metaphorical comparison of our organizations with the human brain‐mind system illuminates organizational configurations and behaviors that promote success in today's turbulent economic and sociopolitical conditions. Both the creatively intelligent post‐industrial organization and the highly developed human brain‐mind are integrated clusters of dynamically evolving subsystems. Their functional dynamism enables them to perceive patterns in chaos, and to create effective long‐term plans derived from those patterns.

Imagine the organization in which you work as a giant brain. The human brain‐mind system consists of a number of subsystems that work together to produce our thoughts, feelings, and actions. In a similar way, most of our institutions and businesses consist of departments that work together to create and distribute products or services. A wide variety of thought processes and behaviors are common to both the human brain‐mind and the typical organization. Some of these include planning, analysis, abstract thought, emotional responses, ritualistic behaviors, and creative idea generation. A creatively intelligent person produces and integrates a blend of these thought processes and actions that is best suited to success in his or her environment. In a similar manner, today's successful organizations generate optimal blends of thought processes and actions that enable them to flourish in the midst of uncertain conditions.

We can identify opportunities for greater organizational creativity and efficiency by using a brain metaphor to analyze the nature of today's most effective organizations. This paper compares the human brain‐mind system to the organizations that are surviving and thriving in today's turbulent socioeconomic climate. There are some remarkable parallels. In many ways, today's most effective organizations closely mirror the functioning of the optimally developed human brain‐mind. Similarly, our least effective organizations operate much like individual minds of lesser creative intelligence. The brain metaphor suggests that, in today's post‐industrial organizational climate, some institutions and businesses are suffering from brain damage while others are on their way to becoming creatively intelligent geniuses.
Creative Style and Divergent Production
Authors: GELADE GARRY
Published: December 2011

In a sample of British working men and women, scores on the Kirton Adaption‐Innovation Inventory (MI) were compared with divergent production scores on Guilford's Consequences and Alternate Uses tests. On the Consequences test, adaptors and innovators produced approximately equal numbers of common responses, but the innovators produced a higher number of uncommon (remote) responses, and a higher number of responses in total. Innovators also produced more responses than adaptors on the Alternate Uses test. The results are discussed with reference to the distinction between creative style and creative level. Creative style appears to be more strongly, related to some measures of creative level than to others, and the results are consistent with Kirton's view that when solving problems, innovators access a larger cognitive domain than adaptors.
Goal Structures in Creative Motivation
Authors: MEHR DAVID G. , SHAVER PHILLIP R.
Published: December 2011

Our culture, as reflected in the creativity literature, has focused on products and productivity. We know relatively little about motives related to other creativity goals or to multiple‐goal structures. We studied differences in goal structures between high and low creative individuals, across creative and routine situations, in four categories: person, process, situation, product. Creativity potential was assessed with a composite of four scales. Goal structures in creative and routine situations were assessed with a self‐report measure. Nearly all subjects used all four goal categories to describe their motivation in both situations. Only about 34% of subjects' motivation was product‐related. There were several differences between high and low creatives: (a) high creatives made more use of the full range of goal categories; (b) in creative situations, high creatives put more emphasis on person and less on product; (c) they also put less emphasis on product than low creatives did in either situation; (d) high creatives reported significantly higher motivation than low creatives in both situations.
Creative Behavior through Basic Inferences: Evidence from Person‐Computer Interactions
Authors: WAGNER CHRISTIAN
Published: December 2011

This article reviews the contributions of basic reasoning mechanisms to the generation of creative ideas. The investigated reasoning mechanisms are deduction, induction, abduction, specialization/generalization, and elementary memory associations. The article claims that if we measure creativity by outcomes, that is, by the quality of the resulting ideas, then these basic forms of reasoning can be considered at least mildly creative. The claim is backed by references to computer programs which have generated creative outcomes, and by the outcomes of computer based reasoning activities shown in the article. Limitations of this approach to creativity are also discussed, particularly, difficulties in the recognition of creative ideas.
Thinking Creatively at Work: Organization Influences on Creative Problem Solving
Authors: MUMFORD MICHAEL D. , WHETZEL DEBORAH L. , REITER‐PALMON RONI
Published: December 2011

In this article, we consider how peoples' creative problem solving efforts are influenced by characteristics of the organizations in which they work. We begin examining the situations which call for creative problem solving at work. We then consider the kinds of processes people must apply to solve these problems. Additionally, we describe certain organizational variables that might help or hinder effective application of these processes.' Some conclusions‐are drawn concerning how these variables act to influence creative problem solving at work. The implications of these observations for future research are discussed.
Influences of Organizational Culture and Climate on Individual Creativity
Authors: TESLUK PAUL E. , FARR JAMES L. , KLEIN STEPHANIE R.
Published: December 2011

This paper provides a framework for conceptualizing and reviewing the literature on the influences of organizational culture and climate on individual creativity. Although often treated interchangeably, culture and climate are distinct constructs operating at different levels of meaning; yet at the same time, they are closely interrelated. Culture is the beliefs and values held by management and communicated to employees through norms, stories, socialization processes, and observations of managerial responses to critical events. The beliefs and values that typify a culture for creativity become manifested in organizational structures, practices, and policies. In turn, these structures, practices, and policies guide and shape individual creativity by creating a climate that communicates both the organization's goals regarding creativity and the means to achieve those goals. The paper concludes with a discussion of issues relating to the development of cultures and climates for creativity and potential new directions for future research.
A Framework for the Study of Relationships Between Organizational Characteristics and Organizational Innovation
Authors: ARAD SHARON , HANSON MARY ANN , SCHNEIDER ROBERT J.
Published: December 2011

This paper presents a taxonomy of organizational characteristics that was developed as part of a large scale job analysis project conducted for the Department of Labor (DOL). Based on research and theory related to organizations, a hierarchical taxonomy of organizational characteristics was developed with six construct domains at the highest level: organizational structure, leadership, human resources (HR) systems and practices, goals, and organizational values. The taxonomy has been empirically tested using data from over 300 organizations, and a summary of these results is presented. This taxonomy is then used to organize and review research on the relationships between organizational variables and innovation. Implications of the taxonomy for understanding relationships between organizational size, industry type, “high‐performance” practices, and innovation are discussed.
Methodological Requirements for Studying Creativity in Organizations
Authors: SCHOENFELDT LYLE F. , JANSEN KAREN J.
Published: December 2011

This article begins by broadly defining creativity and then more narrowly focusing on the definition of this construct. The broad methodological issues associated with organizational creativity are then discussed. To a large extent, the methodological requirements for studying organizational creativity depend on theoretical models. The most relevant theoretical models are reviewed. Specific methodological requirements for studying creativity in organizations are then reviewed, with emphasis on issues of validity and reliability. Finally, the article considers how organizational creativity research might be studied in a manner consistent with the methodological issues raised.
Theory of Mind and the Origin of Divergent Thinking
Authors: SUDDENDORF THOMAS , FLETCHER‐FLINN CLAIRE M.
Published: December 2011

The development ofa“theory of mind” may not only be important for understanding the minds of others but also for using one's own mind. To investigate this supposition, 40 children between the ages of three and four were given false‐belief and creativity tasks. The numbers of appropriate and of original responses in the creativity test were found to correlate positively with performance on false‐belief tasks. This association was robust, as it continued to be strong and significant even when age and verbal intelligence were partialled out. The results support the hypothesis that the metarepresentational skills involved in theory of mind also affect the way children can access and scan their own mental repertoire beyond the areas of currently activated content (i.e. divergent thinking). With the advent of theory of mind a basic cognitive shift takes place in human development, and possibly took place in cognitive evolution.
Structured Imagination in Story Creation
Authors: PAVLIK LISA
Published: December 2011

Studies on structural imagination show that imaginative thinking is guided by conceptual knowledge structures. The two present studies explored the role of structured imagination in story creation. In Study 1, it was predicted that variations in the representational knowledge of abstract concepts would influence whether or not stories are meaningful and original to readers. In addition, it was predicted that meaningful and original stories would be more likely to express abstract concepts than nonmeaningful and nonoriginal stories. In Study 2, it was predicted that stories evaluated as meaningful/original, meaningful/nonoriginal, or nonmeaningful/nonoriginal would be related to the qualities of meaning/nonmeaning and originality/nonoriginality of the image descriptions used to write them. Chi‐square analyses and percentage differences showed support for representational knowledge as an important influence on story meaning and originality, and that meaningful and original stories were more likely to contain abstract concepts than nonmeaningful and nonoriginal stories. In addition, significant correlations were found between the creating of meaningful versus nonmeaningful stories and the use of meaningful versus nonmeaningful knowledge pools. However, significance was not found for the originality/nonoriginality dimension.
Creativity Styles of Supervising Managers
Authors: POLLICK MICHAEL F. , KUMAR V. K.
Published: December 2011

The Creativity Styles Questionnaire‐Revised was administered to 93 supervising managers of a nation‐wide rail transportation corporation. The managers were divided into high and low creative groups based on a self‐report measure of creative capacity. The results were consistent with those obtained with students in a previous study. The high creative managers, relative to low creative managers, reported (a) greater belief in unconscious processes, (b) using a greater number of techniques, and (c) being more motivated in their efforts to pursue ideas rather than to develop a concrete final product.
Invention and Inventivity as a Special Kind of Creativity, with Implications for General Creativity
Authors: HUBER JOHN C.
Published: December 2011

Much of the study of creativity uses broad definitions of creative outputs, often including together the creative acts of artists, children, scientists, etc. Perhaps because of these broad definitions, it has been difficult to derive useful predictions of creativity. This paper examines a narrow slice of creativity, the invention and the inventor who makes the invention. Furthermore, a new parameter measuring inventors is defined — Inventivity is the rate of production of patents by an individual inventor. Examination of a large number of inventors shows that Inventivity is a parameter that can be measured and used to distinguish among inventors. The results are shown to be consistent with other studies and are used to support several theories of creativity.
From Blind to Creative: In Defense of Donald Campbell's Selectionist Theory of Human Creativity
Authors: CZIKO GARY A.
Published: December 2011

Both Perkins and Sternberg recognize Campbell's selectionist theory of knowledge generation as accounting for certain types of learning and human creativity. However, they argue that his theory cannot account for the full spectrum of human creativity, with Sternberg having more serious reservations than Perkins. I argue in this commentary that while blind variation and selective retention (BVSR) may not be involved in all forms of human behavior and thought, Campbell has made a compelling (if often misunderstood) case that all genuine forms of human creativity and invention involve BVSR. To support this broad application of Campbell's theory, I argue for the complementarity of among‐organism and within‐organism BVSR as well as for the complementarity of prior and current BVSR in all forms of creative human endeavor.
Confusion, Lack of Consensus, and the Definition of Creativity as a Construct
Authors: PARKHURST HOWARD B.
Published: December 2011

Among the changes employers say are needed in the educational preparation of American young people to meet the evolving needs of the workplace is improvement in the development of individual creativity and creative thinking. However, a variety of definitions for creativity exist, hindering a consistent educational response. The major areas of controversy concerning creativity's definition are reviewed here, in roughly chronological order corresponding to the publication of each definition of significant influence. Each definition's reasons for failing to achieve widespread acceptance are analyzed, and a suggestion for a general definition of the sort that should be widely acceptable is provided.
Inebriation and Inspiration? A Review of the Research on Alcohol and Creativity
Authors: NORLANDER TORSTEN
Published: December 2011

There is a conception that a uniquely positive correlation prevails between the intake of alcohol and creativity, but only a few experimental studies address this subject. Existing studies together with recent experiments are reviewed. This later series of experiments explored whether or not moderate alcohol intoxication (1.0 ml of 100% alcohol/kg body weight) facilitated different phasesof the creative process, i.e. preparation, incubation, illumination, verification, and restitution. A hypothesis is derived which postulates that modest alcohol consumption inhibits aspects of creativity based mainly on the secondary process (preparation, certain parts of illumination, and verification), and disinhibits those based mainly on the primary process (incubation, certain parts of illumination, and restitution).
Creative Problem Solving and Problem Finding in Young Adults: Interconnections with Stress, Hassles, and Coping Abilities
Authors: CARSON DAVID K. , RUNCO MARK A.
Published: December 2011

This study examined the relationship among creative problem solving (PS) and problem generation (PG) abilities, stress and daily hassles, and coping skills in a sample of college undergraduates. Heirarchical regression analyses indicated that separate sets of both PS and PS task scores were predictive of scores on certain coping scales even after the variance accounted for by indices of stress and hassles was removed. Specifically, PG and PS abilities were negatively related to such coping processes as confrontation, distancing, escape‐avoidance tendencies, and excessive acceptance of responsibility, and positively associated with more general adaptive qualities. The findings strongly suggest that PS and PG abilities are important components of an individual's overall capacity to cope with both major and minor stresses of life.
Leadership Style, Anonymity, and Creativity in Group Decision Support Systems: The Mediating Role of Optimal Flow
Authors: SOSIK JOHN J. , KAHAI SURINDER S. , AVOLIO BRUCE J.
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT Prior research indicates that flow, a psychological state characterized by concentration, enjoyment, and intrinsic motivation, may be linked to creativity of individuals participating in computer‐mediated meetings. A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of leadership style (transactional contingent reward and transformational) and anonymity level (identified and anonymous) on flow and creativity of 159 undergraduate students working in groups performing a creativity task using a Group Decision Support System (GDSS). Results demonstrated that flow mediated effects of leadership on creativity in a GDSS context, and its role may be moderated by anonymity. Results also indicated that both flow and anonymity were required for enhancing creativity in a GDSS context. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Promoting Insightful Problem Solving
Authors: ANSBURG PAMELA I. , DOMINOWSKI ROGER I.
Published: December 2011

This work assessed whether insightful problem solving could be trained. Specifically, we tested whether solutions to a heterogeneous set of verbal insight problems could be promoted. A training scheme was developed to promote the application of mechanisms that underlie the process of restructuring. Training across the five experiments consisted of different combinations of the following training techniques: advance strategic instructions, varying amounts of practice, practice with different types of feedback, and problem comparison. Results from all five experiments showed that training can promote solutions to verbal insight problems. Facilitation effects ranged from a 14%–24% gain in overall solution rates relative to no‐treatment controls. This work demonstrated that insightful problem solving could be trained at a relatively high level of generality.
The Creation Process of Brazilian Musicians
Authors: FLEITH DENISE DE SOUZA , RODRIGUES MARIA ALEXANDRA MILITATO , VIANA MARIA CRISTINA ALVES , CERQUEIRA TEREZA CRISTINA SIQUEIRA
Published: December 2011

This study investigated the creative process of well‐known musicians in Brasília, Brazil and the conditions that facilitated the development of their creative abilities. A sample of 14 professional musicians (11 composers and 3 performers) participated in semi‐structured interviews to discuss the following topics: musical formation, dedicating time to music, working conditions, creativity in music, the creative process, and the importance of music in their lives. The results indicated that the majority of the musicians view creativity as a complex process supported by many factors, especially the environment. Four stages of the creative process were described by these musicians: process triggering, preparation, product elaboration, and product validation.
Tradeoffs Between Ideas and Structure: Individual Versus Group Performance in Creative Problem Solving
Authors: MUMFORD MICHAEL D. , FELDMAN JACK M. , HEIN MICHAEL B. , NAGAO DENNIS J.
Published: December 2011

The present effort was intended to assess how situational variables influence the relative performance of groups and individuals on creative problem‐solving tasks. More specifically, a priming manipulation was used to increase the number of alternatives available for problem solving while training was used to provide groups with shared mental models bearing on the problem. It was found that having more ideas available led to better individual performance. Group performance, however, was enhanced by training appropriate to problem content that allowed for elaboration and refinement of ideas. These findings indicate that interventions intended to enhance creativity may have different effects at the individual and group level. The need to consider multiple levels of situational influences in attempts to understand creative achievement is discussed.
The Need to be Different Predicts Divergent Production: Toward a Social Learning Model of Originality
Authors: JOY STEPHEN
Published: December 2011

According to social learning theory, innovation motivation is partly composed of the subjective value set upon the opportunity to engage in different behaviors. An inventory measuring this explicit need to be different (vDiffer) has not previously been evaluated for its ability to predict divergent production of ideas. In this study, the vDiffer scale was administered together with three divergent production (originality) measures: a word‐association test, a new uses test, and a test requiring examinees to name members of categories. Responses were scored for unusualness in the sample. The need to be different predicted unusual category exemplars (r = .31), word associations (r = .30), and uses for common objects (r = .31). Although general knowledge or verbal fluency also predicted some originality scores, innovation motivation tests accounted for significant variance over and above that attributable to these ability measures.
Creativity Through a Lens of Social Responsibility: Implicit Theories of Creativity with Korean Samples
Authors: LIM WOONG , PLUCKER JONATHAN A.
Published: December 2011

Implicit theories of creativity have been the subject of increased research interest in recent years. These investigations are motivated by the observation that an individual's creative activities are guided by personal definitions rather than professional theories, which may be very different. Cross‐cultural studies of implicit creativity theories are rare, yet they can add significantly to our knowledge of how creativity is viewed across cultures. The nature of 428 Koreans' implicit creativity theories were identified in a prestudy, and the structure of 478 Koreans' ratings of the indicated behaviors was analyzed in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, 211 participants evaluated the creativity of 44 hypothetical profiles based on the results of the first experiment. Results provide evidence that Korean conceptions of creativity are similar to Western conceptions, although Koreans may emphasize negative behaviors and personality characteristics (e.g., deviance) to a greater degree. When asked to use their implicit theories to evaluate the creativity of hypothetical profiles, Korean adults strongly emphasized specific cognitive, personality, and motivational aspects of creativity over noncognitive aspects (e.g., perseverance, independence).
Singaporean Teachers' Perception of Activities Useful for Fostering Creativity
Authors: TAN Ai‐GIRL
Published: December 2011

Ninety‐five beginning teachers and 116 experienced teachers rated the degree of usefulness of activities for fostering creativity on a 5–Likert scale (1 = not very useful, 5 = very useful). Three clusters (C) were elicited from their responses. C1 was featured by moderate and high ratings of teachers for all the learning activities. C2 was mainly characterized by student‐centered independent and collaborative learning activities. C3 was highlighted by student‐directed independent learning activities. About two thirds of the experienced teachers and one fifth of the beginning teachers belonged to C1. Nearly half and one fourth of the latter compared to one fifth of the former belonged to C2 and C3, respectively. Implications of the findings for Singaporean education were presented.
Can People Creative in Imagery Interpret Ambiguous Figures Faster than People Less Creative in Imagery?
Authors: RIQUELME HERNAN
Published: December 2011

The purpose of the research study was to investigate whether people creative in imagery are better than people non‐creative in imagery at interpreting ambiguous figures. Creativity, in the imagery paradigm, is said to involve two processes: combinational play and discovery. Discovery plays a major role in creativity as it is the process of discerning, judging or interpreting the value of a mental construction. Furthermore, creative people have been said to be insightful thus supporting the proposition advanced here that people creative in imagery are faster at interpreting and finding alternative interpretations for ambiguous figures than people less creative in imagery. This study reports both latencies and discoveries in perception and mental imagery as measured on a figure combination task. The data support the conclusion that people creative in imagery are more capable in reinterpreting ambiguous figures and that they are quicker in their discoveries than people less creative in imagery. The analysis to the questions of how the subjects arrived at their discoveries may also illustrate the Gestalt literature on insight as a rapid pattern recognition.
Effects of Novel Conceptual Combination on Creativity
Authors: WAN WENDY W.N. , CHIU CHI‐YUE
Published: December 2011

Two experiments revealed that solving novel conceptual combination problems could enhance performance in a subsequent test of creativity. The evidence also showed that the beneficial effects of solving novel conceptual combination problems were mediated in part by the use of novel conceptual combination strategies. However, the positive effect of the novel conceptual combination training on divergent thinking was found only among males, probably because the creativity measure used in the experiment was biased against female participants. These findings were discussed in terms of their theoretical significance and implications for teaching creativity.
Contemporary Studies on the Concept of Creativity: the East and the West
Authors: NIU WEIHUA , STERNBERG ROBERT
Published: December 2011

This article reviews contemporary studies on the concept of creativity across two cultures—Eastern (Asian) cultures and Western (American and European) cultures — by examining two bodies of literature. One is on people's implicit theories of creativity across different cultures and the other is on cross‐cultural studies of creativity. Studies on implicit theories of creativity in the East suggest that many Asians have similar but not identical conceptions of creativity to many people in the West. Cross‐cultural studies of creativity reveal that Easterners and Westerners differ, on average, in their divergent‐thinking performance and creative expressions. A view of creativity as relatively culture‐specific is presented and the appropriateness of using divergent‐thinking tests to measure creativity is discussed.
Domain‐Specificity of Creativity in Young Children: How Quantitative and Qualitative Data Support It
Authors: HAN KI‐SOON
Published: December 2011

One of the most controversial issues in contemporary research of creativity, whether a person's creativity is domain‐specific or domain‐general, was investigated in the present study. This study is composed of two parts, Study 1 and Study 2. In study 1, the relationships among 109 children's creative performances in three domains, and the relationships between those children's general creative thinking skills and their creative performances in three domains have been examined. Study 2 examines how the domain‐specificity and ‐generality issue is addressed in individual children via case studies of three highly creative children, hoping to provide enriching and qualitative specification to the quantitative data of the present study. In both studies, children's performances in language, art, and math domains were respectively judged by three experts who rated children's creativity on story‐telling, collage making, and math word‐problem creating tasks. Children's general creative thinking skills were assessed by a battery of two divergent thinking tests, including the Wallach‐Kogan Creativity Test (Wallach & Kogan, 1965) and the Real World Divergent Thinking Test adapted from Okuda, Runco, and Berger (1991). The findings of this study support the position that creative ability in young children is rather (but not absolutely) domain‐specific.
Obstacles to Personal Creativity between Brazilian and Mexican University Students: A Comparative Study
Authors: DE ALENCAR EUNICE M. L. SORIANO , DE FLEITH DENISE SOUZA , MARTINEZ ALBERTINA MITJÁNS
Published: December 2011

The study focused on personal obstacles to creativity between 385 Brazilian and 305 Mexican university students. The Obstacles to Personal Creativity Inventory, designed and validated by Alencar (1999b), was administered to these students. The results indicated that Lack of Time/Opportunity was the most frequent obstacle. Significant differences were observed between Brazilian and Mexican students in the cluster of obstacles named Lack of Motivation, and between male and female students in the cluster of obstacles named Inhibition/Shyness. The results point to several obstacles to personal creativity which are common among university students. These obstacles should be known by those involved in education in order for them to help students to be less susceptible to obstacles that hinder their creativity.
Understanding Creativity in the Workplace: An Examination of Individual Styles and Training in Relation to Creative Confidence and Creative Self‐Leadership
Authors: PHELAN SHERRY , YOUNG ANGELA M.
Published: December 2011

Creative Self‐Leadership and Creative Confidence were examined in relation to Creative Style Preference and Training. It was hypothesized that perceptions of Creative Self‐Leadership and Creative Confidence were related to personal Creative Style Preferences and that Training would be associated with higher levels of Creative Self‐Leadership and Creative Confidence. Data were collected from two groups of individuals, one with Creative Self‐ Leadership Training, one without. Results indicated that a Creative Style Preference tending toward Innovator was positively related to Creative Confidence, but at a low level and only in the condition prior to training. Training was related to higher scores on Creative Self‐Leadership.
Problem Variables that Promote Incubation Effects
Authors: PENNEY CATHERINE G. , GODSELL ANNETTE , SCOTT ANNETTE , BALSOM ROD
Published: December 2011

Three studies sought to determine whether incubation effects could be reliably generated in a problem‐solving task. Experimental variables manipulated were the duration of the interval between two problem‐solving opportunities and the activity performed by the problem solvers during the interval. A multi‐solution anagram task was used which required problem solvers to generate five‐letter words from the letters in a ten‐letter “starter” word until they could produce no more words. After a break (the incubation period) the problem solvers returned to the anagram task anew. Some participants also engaged in an activity related to the anagram task during the break which was expected to prime potential solutions that would emerge during the second problem‐solving attempt. In all conditions problem solvers were able to generate new responses after the break, thus demonstrating a reliable incubation effect. The optimal incubation period was between 15 and 30 min long. The priming task increased the number of solutions to the anagram task on the second attempt, suggesting that exposure to solution ideas during the incubation period may facilitate an incubation effect during problem solving.