Do changes in beliefs improve creativity?

Abstract

This study examined beliefs about creativity and the effects of beliefs on creativity. We hypothesized that people do not believe that persistence is as important as flexibility. However, both flexible and persistent beliefs are related to creative performance. Therefore, we expected that knowledge interventions teaching that persistence is essential for creativity would improve creative performance. We conducted a questionnaire survey and an interventional experiment with adults (N = 409) in Study 1, college students (N = 413) in Study 2, and high school students (N = 214) in Study 3. The results supported the hypothesis. People did not consider that persistence is vital for creativity. However, if they recognized that persistence is essential, they were more likely to persevere in creative tasks, improving creativity. These results suggest that fostering creativity requires a proper understanding of the scientific findings regarding creativity.