Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

312 CHAPTER 7 Thinking, Language, and IntelligenceENHANCING WELL-BEING WITH PSYCHOLOGYA Workshop on CreativityCreativity can be defined as a group of cognitive processesused to generate useful, original, and novel ideas or solutions toproblems (Runco, 2007). Notice that usefulness, along with originality,is involved in judging creativity. An idea can be highlyoriginal, but if it lacks usefulness it is not regarded as creative.Although we typically think of creativity in terms of artisticexpression, the act of creativity is almost always linked to theprocess of solving some problem. In that sense, creativity canoccur in virtually any area of life.Can you learn to be more creative? In general, creativityexperts agree that you can. Although there is no simple formulathat guarantees creative success, a few basic ingredients are centralto the process of creative thinking. Here are several suggestionsthat can enhance your ability to think creatively.1. Choose the goal of creativity.Psychologists have found that virtually everyone possessesthe intelligence and cognitive processes needed to be creative(Weisberg, 1988, 1993). But the creative individual values creativityas a personal goal. Without the personal goal of creativity,the likelihood of doing something creative is slim.2. Reinforce creative behavior.People are most creative when motivated by their own interest,the enjoyment of a challenge, and a personal sense of satisfactionand fulfillment (Amabile, 1996, 2001). This is called intrinsicmotivation. In contrast, when people are motivated by externalrewards, such as money or grades, they are displaying extrinsicmotivation.Researchers used to believe that extrinsic rewards made crea -tive behavior much less likely. New research, however, seems todemonstrate that rewards can increase creative behavior in aperson who has some training in generating creative solutions toproblems (Eisenberger & others, 1998). When people know thatcreative behavior will be rewarded, they are more likely tobehave in a creative way (Eisenberger & Cameron, 1996).3. Engage in problem finding.In many cases, the real creative leap involves recognizing that aproblem exists. This is referred to as problem finding. We oftenoverlook creative opportunities by dismissing trivial annoyancesrather than recognizing them as potential problems to be solved.For example, consider the minor annoyance experienced by aman named Art Fry. Fry, a researcher for 3M Corporation, regularlysang in his church choir. To locate the hymns quickly duringthe Sunday service, Fry used little scraps of paper to mark theirplaces. But the scraps of paper would sometimes fall out whenFry stood up to sing, and he’d have to fumble to find the rightpage (Kaplan, 1990).While sitting in church, Fry recognized the “problem” andcame up with a relatively simple solution. If you put a substancethat is sticky, but not too sticky, on the scraps of paper, they’llstay on the page and you can take them off when they are notneeded anymore.If you haven’t already guessed, Art Fry invented Post-it notes.The formula for the adhesive had been discovered years earlierat 3M, but nobody could imagine a use for a glue that did notbond permanently. The mental set of the 3M researchers was tofind stronger glues, not weaker ones. Fry’s story demonstratesthe creative value of recognizing problems instead of simply dismissingthem.A technique called bug listing is one useful strategy to identifypotential problems. Bug listing involves creating a list of thingsthat annoy, irritate, or bug you. Such everyday annoyances areproblems in need of creative solutions.4. Acquire relevant knowledge.Creativity requires a good deal of preparation (Weisberg, 1993).Acquiring a solid knowledge base increases your potential forrecognizing how to creatively extend your knowledge or apply itin a new way. As the famous French chemist Louis Pasteur said,“Chance favors the prepared mind.”5. Try different approaches.Creative people are flexible in their thinking. They step backfrom problems, turn them over, and mentally play with possibilities.By being flexible and imaginative, people seeking creativesolutions generate many different responses. This is called divergentthinking, because it involves moving away (or diverging)from the problem and considering it from a variety of perspectives(Baer, 1993).Looking for analogies is one technique to encourage divergentthinking. In problem solving, an analogy is the recognitionof some similarity or parallel between two objects or events thatare not usually compared. Similarities can be drawn in terms ofthe objects’ operation, function, purpose, materials, or othercharacteristics.For example, consider inventor Dean Kamen’s ingenious “selfbalancinghuman transporter,” the Segway, which is modeledon the human body. As Kamen (2001) explains, “There’s a gyroscopethat acts like your inner ear, a computer that acts likeyour brain, motors that act like your muscles, and wheels thatact like your feet.” Rather than brakes, engine, or steering wheel,sophisticated sensors detect subtle shifts in body weight tomaintain direction, speed, and balance. Designed for riding onsidewalks, the Segway can move at speeds up to 17 mph andcan carry the average rider for a full day.“Never, ever, think outside the box.”The New Yorker Collection, 2006, Leo Cullum. All rights reserved.