Shifting between modes of thought: A mechanism underlying creative performance?

1. Shifting between modes of thought: A mechanism underlying creative performance? Andrew Pringle PhD candidate (Psychology) Supervisor: Dr Paul Sowden

2. What are “different modes of thinking”? Evidence suggesting that creative individuals are proficient at shifting Experiment examining if creative individuals are better at shifting modes than less creative individuals. Overview

3. Modes of thinking ?=> ? Divergent thinking Convergent thinking

4. Deployment of different modes Practicality within real-world constraints Idea generation

5. Shifting between modes Shifting modes Convergent thinking Practical solutions within real-world constraints Divergent thinking Idea generation

6. Are the creative better at shifting? Wolf & Mieg (2011): Control over the mode of thinking deployed: • self-report likert scale measuring the control of divergent and convergent thinking Measure of creative performance: • invention efficiency (IE): IE = Marketed patents Granted patents

7. Inducing shifting and assessing shifting efficiency? Task inducing convergent thinking Task inducing divergent thinking method of inducing shifts Is shifting efficiency (related to) creative ability?

8. Inducing divergent thinking After-sun sun After-math After-party Divergent task

9. Inducing convergent thinking basket eight snow = “ball” 1 2 3 4 5 Extent to which solution generated by insight (aha! experience) Convergent task

10. cane daddy plum

11. Inducing shifting basket eight snow chair flake mobile cone show life row watch tape dew cone bee air cross rain tie 30sec 30sec time Pure Convergent Block Pure Divergent Block Alternating Block

12. Participant details students and staff at the University of Surrey Age (M = 22.40 years, SD = 2.24, range = 18-27) All native English speakers No dyslexics Creative achievement questionnaire (CAQ) Domains (visual arts, music, dance, architectural design, creative writing, humour, inventions, scientific discovery, theatre and film and culinary arts). Participant details & Creativity measure

13. Effects of shifting on convergent problem performance • 3 measures: • 1) % of correct solutions generated • 2) average speed at which correct solutions were generated • 3) Extent to which solutions arrived in an “aha moment”. • Alternating vs. pure block performance: Difference score = mean of convergent scores in alternating block - mean of convergent scores within pure block

14. Effects of shifting on % correct solutions Difference in % correct solutions given within alternating vs. pure blocks across CAQ scores (r = .12, p =.24).

15. Effects of shifting on speed of correct solutions Difference in speed of correct solutions given within alternating vs. pure blocks across CAQ scores (rs= .32, p (one-tailed) = .02). R2 = .10

16. Insightful generation across blocks (M = 3.76, SE = .08) (M = 3.44, SE = .11) Significantly higher ratings of “aha moments” (insight) Within alternating vs. pure problem blocks (F (1, 39) = 10.5, p = .002, ηp2 .21, power= .89)

17. Conclusions Task inducing convergent thinking Task inducing divergent thinking Shifting modes Proficient shifting (not related to) creative ability

18. Conclusions Creative individuals divergent mindset convergent mindset divergent mindset convergent mindset

19. Unexpected findings R2 = .10 Divergent thinking benefitting convergent problem performance?

20. Overall conclusion • Findings so far fail to support hypothesis that more creative • individuals are better at shifting. • Next: • Fully analyse performance within alternating vs. pure blocks on divergent problems. • Implications: • divergent thinking may facilitate insight on convergent problems. • Applications?