Psychology of Creativity &

Innovation
Topic 1: Introduction
 Topic 1 Outline
A. Why it is important to study creativity?
B. What is creativity?
 Individualistic definition
 Sociocultural definition
 Other definitions
C. Process of creativity
D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
A. Why it is important to study creativity?

Creativity will continue to increase in importance, due to

several broad societal and economic trends

1. Increasingly globalized markets result in greater

competitiveness, even for industries that historically had been
protected from significant challenge.
2. Increasingly sophisticated information and communication
technologies result in shorter product development cycles.
3. Jobs that don’t require creativity are increasingly being
automated, or are moving to extremely low-wage countries.
A. Why it is important to study creativity?

Creativity will continue to increase in importance, due

to several broad societal and economic trends
4. Increasing wealth and leisure time in advanced
countries (and beyond) have increased the demand for
the products of the creative industries. As of 2007,
the creative industries represented over 11 % of U.S.
GDP (Gantchev, 2007 ).
However, we argue that creativity should be explained for a
number of reasons.
Reason 1:

 Explaining creativity can help us identify and realize every

person’s unique creative talents. Without explaining creativity,
it’s easy to fail to recognize and nurture individuals with
important creative abilities. If we hope to solve all of the
pressing problems facing our society and our world, we must take
advantage of the creative talents of everyone.
However, we argue that creativity should be explained for a
number of reasons.
Reason 2:
 Explaining creativity can help our leaders to respond better to
the challenges facing modern society.
 Researchers have discovered that creativity is an essential skill
for effective leadership.
 Creative leaders have much more impact because they can
motivate their teams more effectively.
 Creative leaders are especially effective at handling novel
challenges that force them to go outside the typical routines
However, we argue that creativity should be explained for a
number of reasons.
Reason 3:
 Explaining creativity can help us all to be better problem
solvers.
 We each face problems in our everyday lives that require creative
responses. Our society faces challenges like pollution, poverty,
and terrorism.
 Some of these problems can be solved simply by a single
individual having a good idea, but most of them will
require groups of people working together.
However, we argue that creativity should be
explained for a number of reasons.
Reason 4:

 Explaining creativity helps us realize the importance of

positive, peak experiences to mental health.
 During peak experiences known as flow, people are at their
most creative. Researchers studying positive psychology have
discovered that flow and creativity contribute to a happy,
fulfilling life.
 A better explanation of creativity can help people to achieve
these positive, healthy experiences.
However, we argue that creativity should be
explained for a number of reasons.
Reason 5:

 Explaining creativity can help educators teach more

effectively. Educational psychologists are increasingly
discovering the role that creativity plays in development and learning.
 In recent decades, psychologists have identified the step by step
creative processes that underpin learning.
 Creativity is important not only to classroom learning but also
to the critical informal learning that occurs in the preschool
years, how to speak a first language, how to behave at the dinner
table, how to make friends and engage in group play.
However, we argue that creativity should be
explained for a number of reasons.

Reason 6:

Explaining creativity provides more than intellectual

satisfaction; it will lead to a more creative society, and will
enhance the creative potential of our families, our
workplaces, and our institutions.
 B. What is creativity?

There are two definitions of creativity:

 Creativity researchers can be grouped into two

major traditions of research: an individualist
approach and a sociocultural approach.
 Each of them has its own distinctive analytic focus, and
each of them defines creativity slightly differently.
 Individualist Definition

 The individualist approach studies a single person while

that person is engaged in creative thought or behavior.
 This is the approach associated with first-wave
personality psychology- which studies the traits of creative
people-and second-wave experimental cognitive psychology-
the branch of psychology that studies how people think,
perceive, learn, and remember.
 Because individualists focus on single individuals, the
individualist definition of creativity refers only to structures and
processes that are associated with a single person.
 Individualist definition Creativity is a new mental
combination that is expressed in the world.

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 Features of the individualist definition
 Creativity is new. The most basic requirement of
a creative thought or action is that it must be
novel or original.
 Repeating a previously mastered sequence of behaviors
isn’t creative; repeating a sentence verbatim creative;
speaking from memory isn’t creative.

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Features of the individualist definition con’t
 Creativity is a combination . All thoughts and concepts
are combinations of existing thoughts and concepts.

 Creativity involves a combination of two or more thoughts

or concepts that have never been combined before by that
individual.

 However, the mind is an immense web of symbolic

material; most of it has been previously mastered, and
simply recalling from memory isn’t creative.

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Features of the individualist definition con’t

 Creativity is expressed in the world. Creativity

researchers can’t study what they can’t see. This is why
the scientific definition of creativity has to exclude ideas
that stay in a person’s head and are never expressed, and
ideas that no one else can see or understand.
 Under this definition, your nightly dreams aren’t creative;
ideas that you have but never write down or communicate
to anyone else aren’t creative.

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 Sociocultural Definition

 The third-wave sociocultural approach studies creative

people working together in social and cultural systems.
Socio-culturalists study how groups collectively generate
innovation, and the structures and processes of
social, cultural, and organizational systems that are
creative.
 For example, A hit videogame or a computer-
animated movie typically has 200 different creative
people participating in its creation.

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 Sociocultural definition

Sociocultural definition: Creativity is the

generation of a product that is judged to be
novel and also to be appropriate, useful, or valuable by a
suitably knowledgeable social group.

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 Features of Sociocultural definition
 The sociocultural definition of creativity requires that some
socially valuable product be generated before the act or the person
is called “creative.” Only solutions to extremely difficult
problems, or significant works of genius, are recognized as
creative.

 This is sometimes called “big C” Creativity.

 All creations that satisfy this definition will by default also
satisfy the individual or “little c” definition because any product
that is novel to a social group must also be novel to each
individual within that social group.

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 Features of Sociocultural definition con’t
 The sociocultural definition is quite similar to definitions of
innovation in organizations; which defined innovation as “the
successful implementation of creative ideas within an
Organization”.
 Sociocultural novelty can be judged only by a social group, who
can collectively determine whether an individual creation
really is new.
 In addition, to satisfy the sociocultural definition, novelty isn’t
sufficient; the creation must also be appropriate, recognized as
socially valuable in some way to some community. Appropriateness,
like novelty, can be judged only by a social group.

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 Related Definitions
Taylor (1959 ) identified five types of creativity:
1. Expressive : Independent expression, where the quality and originality
of the product are not important, such as the drawings of children.
2. Productive : Artistic or scientific products that restrict and control
free play and develop techniques for producing finished products
3. Inventive: Inventors, explorers, discoverers; ingenuity is displayed with
materials, methods, and techniques
4. Innovative: Improvement through modification involving
conceptualizing skills
5. Emergentive: An entirely new principle or assumption around which
new schools flourish

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 Kaufman and Beghetto (2009) argued for two
levels of creativity in addition to Big-C and little-c:

 mini-c : The creativity inherent in the learning process, when

children discover something for the first time
 Pro-c : Professional expertise in a creative domain that does not attain
the level of transforming the domain.
 Feldman ( 2003 ) proposed a three-part definition, using
the metaphor of a piano keyboard. High C is equivalent to
Big C creativity; low C is equivalent to little c creativity; and
middle C is roughly equivalent to Pro-c as proposed by Kaufman
and Beghetto

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 THE FOUR P FRAMEWORK
 Many creativity researchers have been influenced by a four-part division of
creativity research proposed by Mel Rhodes back in 1961, the four P
framework:
 Product: Research that focuses on the products judged to be novel and appropriate
by the relevant social group. Product creativity is almost always
defined and evaluated using a sociocultural definition.
 Person: Research that studies the personality traits or personality types associated
with creativity. Creative people are those identified with an individualist
definition, or they are identified indirectly, as those people who have
generated creative products.
 Process: Research that studies the processes involved during creative work or
creative thought.
 Press: Research that focuses on the external forces or “pressures” acting on the
creative person or process, such as the social and cultural context.

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 C. Process of Creativity
The creative process is a dynamic and often non-linear journey
through which individuals generate original ideas, solve
problems, and produce innovative works. It involves several
interconnected stages, each contributing to the overall creative
outcome. While these stages may not always occur in a fixed
sequence, they provide a framework for understanding how
creativity unfolds. Here is an overview of the key stages in the
creative process:
1. Preparation: The process begins with preparation, where
individuals immerse themselves in a specific domain or
topic. This stage involves gathering information,
conducting research, and building a knowledge
foundation. Preparation fuels creativity by providing a rich
pool of ideas and insights to draw from
2. Incubation: After the initial preparation, the mind enters a state of
incubation. During this phase, the conscious mind takes a step back,
allowing the subconscious to process the gathered information and
make unexpected connections. Incubation often occurs during periods of
relaxation, daydreaming, or even when the individual is not consciously
focused on the problem or task.
3. Illumination: Illumination is the "aha moment" or the sudden flash of
insight when a creative solution or idea emerges. It may occur
unexpectedly and can be triggered by the subconscious connections
made during incubation. This stage is characterized by a burst of
inspiration and clarity.
4. Evaluation: Once an idea or solution has been generated, it undergoes
evaluation and refinement. During this stage, individuals assess the
viability, feasibility, and effectiveness of the creative concept. They
consider how it aligns with the problem or objective and make
adjustments as needed.
5. Elaboration: Elaboration involves expanding and
developing the initial idea into a more concrete form. It
includes fleshing out the details, creating a plan of
action, and refining the concept further. Elaboration is
essential for turning abstract ideas into tangible projects,
products, or artworks.
6. Verification: In the verification stage, the creative output
is tested, validated, or reviewed by peers, experts, or the
intended audience. This feedback helps ensure that the
creative work meets its intended purpose and quality
standards. Adjustments may be made based on the
feedback received.
7. Implementation: The final stage is the implementation of
the creative idea or solution. This can involve executing a
project, producing a piece of art, or launching a new
product. Successful implementation is the culmination of
the entire creative process.
 D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
 Creativity is not just a talent or a hobby, it is a Skill that can help you stand
out in your personal and professional life. Whether you want to express
yourself, solve problems, innovate, or communicate, creativity can give you an
edge and make you more memorable and valuable.

 Creativity allows us to view and solve problems more openly and with
innovation. Creativity opens the mind. A society that has lost touch with its
creative side is an imprisoned society, in that generations of people may be
closed minded. It broadens our perspectives and can help us overcome
prejudices.
 Creativity means that you have to be able to successfully blend playfulness
and discipline; responsibility and irresponsibility.
 Creativity allows you to look at problems and challenges from different angles
and to come up with solutions that may not be immediately obvious. This
ability to think outside the box is essential in today's fast-paced, rapidly
changing world.
 D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
 Cathy Malchiodi cited multiple studies confirming that being
creative can increase positive emotions, lessen depressive
symptoms, reduce stress, decrease anxiety, and even improve
immune system functioning

 Encouraging creativity in the workplace can help boost business

success. Creative thinking allows individuals to develop new or
innovative ideas and challenge norms or old ways of thinking.

 Creativity calms the nervous system and decreases anxiety, it

also gets us more in tune and mindful in our everyday lives.

 Being creative is not a luxury but a necessity in today's changing

world. Creativity is the key to success in almost all areas of life
 D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
 Learn how to leverage creativity to enhance your
personal and professional brand.
Defining brand:
Before you can leverage creativity, you need to have a clear
idea of what your brand is and what you want to achieve
with it. Your brand is the impression that you make on
others, the value that you offer, and the personality that
you convey. Think about your strengths, passions, goals,
values, and audience, and write down a few words or
phrases that describe your brand. For example, your brand
could be "inspiring storyteller", "visionary leader",
"passionate advocate", or "creative problem-solver".
 D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
 Learn how to leverage creativity to enhance your
personal and professional brand.
Generate Ideas:
Once you have defined your brand, you need to generate ideas
on how to communicate it effectively and creatively. You can use
various techniques to stimulate your imagination, such as
brainstorming, mind mapping, free writing, or asking questions.
The key is to be open-minded, curious, and playful, and to avoid
judging or censoring your ideas. The more ideas you have, the
more options you have to choose from.
 D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
 Learn how to leverage creativity to enhance your
personal and professional brand.
Experiment and Test:
After you have generated ideas, you need to experiment and
test them to see what works and what doesn't. You can try
different formats, platforms, tools, or styles to express your
brand creatively. For example, you can create a blog, a podcast, a
video, a portfolio, a newsletter, or a social media profile that
showcases your brand. The important thing is to be willing to try
new things, learn from feedback, and adapt accordingly.
 D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
 Learn how to leverage creativity to enhance your
personal and professional brand.
Collaborate and Network:
Another way to leverage creativity is to collaborate and network
with other creative people who share your brand values or goals.
You can join online or offline communities, groups, or events
that relate to your brand or interests, and exchange ideas,
insights, or resources. You can also seek mentors, partners, or
clients who can help you grow your brand or offer you
opportunities. By collaborating and networking, you can expand
your reach, learn new skills, gain exposure, and build
relationships.
 D. The value of creativity on personal and
professional levels
 Learn how to leverage creativity to enhance your
personal and professional brand.
Showcase and Promote:
Finally, you need to showcase and promote your creative brand to
your target audience and potential employers or customers. You can
use different channels and strategies to showcase and promote your
brand, such as creating a website, a portfolio, a resume, a business
card, or a pitch that highlights your creative skills and achievements.
You can also use social media, email marketing, word-of-mouth, or
referrals to promote your brand and engage with your audience. The
goal is to create a consistent and compelling image of your brand that
attracts attention and trust. Or Perfect it until you become the first
choice