Matthijs Baas

• University of Amsterdam

Researchers and educators interested in creative writing need a reliable and efficient tool to score the creativity of narratives, such as short stories. Typically, human raters manually assess narrative creativity, but such subjective scoring is limited by labor costs and rater disagreement. Large language models (LLMs) have shown remarkable succe...

This chapter gives an overview of the research on the relationship between conflict and creativity. It summarizes research findings on whether, when and for whom different types of conflict promote or prevent creativity at both the individual and group levels of analysis. From the discussed work, it follows that the direction and size of the effect...

Researchers and educators interested in creative writing need a reliable and efficient tool to score the creativity of narratives, such as short stories. Typically, human raters manually assess narrative creativity, but such subjective scoring is limited by labor costs and rater disagreement. Large language models (LLMs) have shown remarkable succe...

By examining the shared neuro-cognitive correlates of curiosity and creativity, we better understand the brain basis of creativity. However, by only examining shared components, important neuro-cognitive correlates are overlooked. Here, we argue that any comprehensive brain model of creativity should consider multiple cognitive processes and, along...

Evaluating and selecting creative ideas are vital steps in the transition from creativity to innovation. However, research has only recently turned its focus on performance in idea evaluation (i.e., assessment of available options against certain standards such as originality and usefulness) and idea selection (i.e., a dichotomous decision whether...

Creativity research commonly involves recruiting human raters to judge the originality of responses to divergent thinking tasks, such as the alternate uses task (AUT). These manual scoring practices have benefited the field, but they also have limitations, including labor-intensiveness and subjectivity, which can adversely impact the reliability an...

Catecholamine-enhancing psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate have long been argued to undermine creative thinking. However, prior evidence for this is weak or contradictory, stemming from studies with small sample sizes that do not consider the well-established large variability in psychostimulant effects across different individuals and task...

The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity and Emotions provides a state-of-the-art review of research on the role of emotions in creativity. This volume presents the insights and perspectives of sixty creativity scholars from thirteen countries who span multiple disciplines, including developmental, social, and personality psychology; industrial and org...

Previous research on ADHD and ASD has mainly focused on the deficits associated with these conditions, but there is also evidence for strengths. Unfortunately, our understanding of potential strengths in neurodevelopmental conditions is limited. One particular strength, creativity, has been associated with both ADHD and ASD. However, the distinct p...

AI large language models have (co-)produced amazing written works from newspaper articles to novels and poetry. These works meet the standards of the standard definition of creativity: being original and useful, and sometimes even the additional element of surprise. But can a large language model designed to predict the next text fragment provide c...

Awe is a fascinating emotion, associated with positive consequences such as greater prosociality, generosity, and epistemic openness. Unfortunately, in spite of the weighty consequences of awe, the exact way in which it arises, and what it entails, is still a puzzle. Particularly puzzling is the question of whether awe is the result of expectancy v...

Despite decades of extensive research on creativity, the field still combats psychometric problems when measuring individual differences in creative ability and people’s potential to achieve real-world outcomes that are both original and useful. We think these seemingly technical issues have a conceptual origin. We therefore propose a minimal theor...

Whereas promotion focus is consistently linked to high adaptivity (i.e., adjustment to changes) andcreativity (i.e., generation of useful and original ideas), prevention focus is commonly associated with lowadaptivity and creativity. The present study uncovers the conditions under which prevention focus mayalso have positive effects on adaptivity a...

Objective: This research aimed to provide explanations for the inconsistent findings regarding creativity in ADHD. Method: In Study 1, we assessed real-world creative achievements and intrinsic motivation during idea generation in adults with ADHD and compared these with controls. In Study 2, we manipulated competition during idea generation to inv...

Despite decades of extensive research on creativity, the field still combats psychometric problems when measuring individual differences in creative ability. We think these seemingly technical issues have a conceptual origin. We therefore propose a minimal theory of creative ability (MTCA) to create a consistent conceptual theory to guide investiga...

For feminists, a core goal is to promote the interests of women as a group. Across three studies, we examined whether the pursuit of such goals can lead feminists to use more divergent thinking styles. We measured identification with feminists, identification with women, and manipulated the extent to which a divergent thinking task was congruent wi...

Past work has linked mindfulness to improved individual-level creativity, but remained silent about group-level creativity. Of all mindfulness skills, the ability to observe and attend to various stimuli (Observation) is the most powerful predictor of individual-level creativity. Studies examining effects of specific mindfulness skills on factors p...

An increasing number of healthy people use methylphenidate, a psychostimulant that increases dopamine and noradrenaline transmission in the brain, to help them focus over extended periods of time. While methylphenidate has been shown to facilitate some cognitive functions, like focus and distractor-resistance, the same drug might also contribute to...

History is rife with examples of the dark side of creativity—ingenious weapons, novel torture practices, and creative terrorist attacks—yet its psychological origins are sparsely addressed and poorly understood. Building on work showing that social threat induces focused thinking as well as aggressive cognitions and readiness to fight, we propose t...

Existing findings on the intriguing link between vulnerability to psychopathology and creativity are scattered and inconclusive. Here we report 3 studies (total N = 826) that tested a 2-step solution to the possible relationship between vulnerability to psychopathology and creativity. First, we propose that inclinations toward psychopathologies tha...

Objective: Novelty seeking (the tendency to explore things novel and unfamiliar) has been extensively researched in the clinical and health domains, but its effects on creative performance are largely unknown. We examined whether creativity-related personality traits (openness to experience and extraversion) associate with novelty seeking, and whe...

Previous work on the threat-creativity link has mainly used paradigms in which participants had ample time to generate ideas. However, people under imminent threats have limited time to think of, and select, the single best response for actual implementation. In three studies, we examined the effect of imminent threats on the generation and selecti...

Although creativity is helpful if not needed to deal with conflicts, research on the effects of conflict on creativity shows inconsistent findings. In this study, the possibility that effects may depend on people’s role in conflict was considered. Whether, when, and why assuming the role of attacker or defender in conflict affects creative idea gen...

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Although ADHD generally associates with a range of cognitive impairments, evidence suggests that people with ADHD may be more creative than people without the disorder. However, the exact relation...

Originality is a prerequisite for world-changing science and arts alike, but it cannot be taught. Or can it? Here, we show that a set of habits that are—surprisingly—shared among successful artists and scientists may catalyze creative output. We reveal three groups of such habits, each corresponding to a cluster of personality traits, shown to be s...

Creative cognition is key to human functioning yet the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are sparsely addressed and poorly understood. Here we address the possibility that creative cognition is a function of dopaminergic modulation in fronto-striatal brain circuitries. It is proposed that (i) creative cognition benefits from both flexible and p...

We investigated the appraisal processes and personality antecedents that regulate people’s attraction to schema-violations - targets and objects that disconfirm schema - and stereotype-based expectancies. In two studies a preference for schema-violations (vs. consistencies) correlated positively with openness to experience, and negatively with the...

The experience of awe is typically elicited in response to perceptually vast stimuli and is often characterized by feeling small and insignificant. In the present series of studies we aimed (1) to determine the effects of awe on body perception and (2) to elucidate the role of the personality trait of ‘absorption’ (i.e. the tendency to get fully im...

Although many believe that creativity associates with a vulnerability to psychopathology, research findings are inconsistent. Here we address this possible linkage between risk of psychopathology and creativity in nonclinical samples. We propose that propensity for specific psychopathologies can be linked to basic motivational approach and avoidanc...

Narcissistic individuals have highly positive self-views and overestimate their abilities. Consequently, they tend to react aggressively whenever they receive information that does not match their high self-views (ego-threat). We argue that focusing on aggression merely portrays a one-sided view of narcissistic individuals and the manner in which t...

Meditation is becoming an increasingly popular topic for scientific research and various effects of extensive meditation practice (ranging from weeks to several years) on cognitive processes have been demonstrated. Here we show that extensive practice may not be necessary to achieve those effects. Healthy adult non-meditators underwent a brief sing...

To examine laypeople's beliefs about the conception of creativity, we asked people (N = 891) to indicate the extent to which they believed that certain cognitive processes, mind states, and circumstances were conducive to creativity (Studies 1-3). We further examined whether these beliefs are in line with their own experiences (Study 2) and with sc...

Although creativity is crucial for organizational effectiveness and success, few companies list creativity among the personnel selection criteria. In addition, there are many questions about the predictive value and methodological qualities of commonly used measurements of creative potential. In this article, we discuss the possible use of these me...

Oxytocin is an evolutionary ancient hypothalamic neuropeptide well known for its role in reproduction, social bonding, and group affiliation. Recent work has linked oxytocin in humans to creative cognition-the ability to produce insights, ideas, and problem solutions that are original and potentially useful. Here we review this literature, focusing...

In this introduction to the special issue of Gedrag & Organisatie we provide a brief overview of the state of the science in the area of creativity and innovation. We then introduce the six articles in the special issue. We end with a short conclusion.

Selecting creative people: Methodological and practical considerations Selecting creative people: Methodological and practical considerations Although creativity is crucial for organizational effectiveness and success, few companies list creativity among the personnel selection criteria. In addition, there are many questions about the predictive va...

Creativity and innovation: Introduction to the theme Creativity and innovation: Introduction to the theme In this introduction to the special issue of Gedrag & Organisatie we provide a brief overview of the state-of-the-science in the area of creativity and innovation. We then introduce the six articles in the special issue. We end with a short con...

Creativity is at the roots of extraordinary achievements in the arts and sciences, and enables individuals and their groups to adapt flexibly to changing circumstances, to manage complex social relations, and to survive and prosper through social, technological, and medical innovations. The ability to generate novel and potentially useful ideas and...

In deze introductie op het themanummer van Gedrag & Organisatie schetsen we kort de stand van zaken binnen het wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar creativiteit en innovatie. Vervolgens introduceren we de zes bijdragen van dit themanummer. We sluiten af met een korte conclusie.

Hoewel creativiteit belangrijk is voor organisaties, wordt creativiteit vooralsnog beperkt gemeten voor selectiedoeleinden. Bovendien bestaat er onduidelijkheid over de voorspellende waarde en psychometrisc he kwaliteit van veelgebruikte meetin‐ strumenten voor creativiteit. In dit artikel scheppen we meer duidelijkheid door eerst een begripsbepali...

Past work has linked mindfulness to improved emotion regulation, interpersonal skills, and basic cognitive abilities, but is unclear about the relation between mindfulness and creativity. Studies examining effects of mindfulness on factors pertinent to creativity suggest a uniform and positive relation, whereas work on specific mindfulness skills s...

Although people and events that disconfirm observers’ expectancies can increase their creativity, sometimes such social schema violations increase observers’ rigidity of thought and undermine creative cognition. Here we examined whether individual differences in the extent to which people prefer structure and predictability determine whether social...

To better understand the relation between personality traits and creativity, we invoke the Dual‐Pathway to Creativity model (DPCM) that identifies two pathways to creative outcomes: (1) flexible processing of information (cognitive flexibility) and (2) persistent probing, and systematically and incrementally combining elements and possibilities (co...

Creativity enables humans to adapt flexibly to changing circumstances, to manage complex social relations and to survive and prosper through social, technological and medical innovations. In humans, chronic, trait-based as well as temporary, state-based approach orientation has been linked to increased capacity for divergent rather than convergent...

The effectiveness of meditation as a tool to recover from stress has already been widely established. However, less is known about the potential psychological mediating and moderating mechanisms affecting its effectiveness. The present study aimed to advance insight in this respect by examining the mediating role of the recovery experiences “relaxa...

Creativity helps to deal with changes in the environment, and with the opportunities and threats of everyday life. Being creative helps to sustain and promote a positive mood and sense of well being, it makes people more attractive mating partners, and it helps them to win conflicts and debates. Creativity also is core to successful entrepreneurshi...

Colors carry meaningful psychological signals. We hypothesized that the color red serves as a powerful cue in competition, affecting both actors and perceivers. Using simplified poker games we investigated the psychological meaning of color in competitive interaction, by examining how the color of chips (red vs. blue or white) used by participants...

This study tested the role of emotion in structured ideation, a process in which newly generated ideas and insights closely follow previously generated ideas and insights. Emotions can be differentiated on a number of underlying dimensions, including uncertainty, and uncertainty can influence information processing. On these grounds, we proposed an...

Anecdotes from creative eminences suggest that executive control plays an important role in creativity, but scientific evidence is sparse. Invoking the Dual Pathway to Creativity Model, the authors hypothesize that working memory capacity (WMC) relates to creative performance because it enables persistent, focused, and systematic combining of eleme...

Anecdotes and introspective reports from eminent scientists and artists aside, a systematic test of the putative creativity-enhancing effect of anger is missing. This article fills this void with three experiments examining creativity as a function of anger (vs. sad or a mood-neutral control state). Combining insights from the literatures on creati...

Promotion-focused states generally boost creativity because they associate with enhanced activation and cognitive flexibility. With regard to prevention-focused states, research evidence is less consistent, with some findings suggesting prevention-focused states promote creativity and other findings pointing to no or even negative effects. We propo...

The authors review the Motivated Information Processing in Groups Model (De Dreu, Nijstad, & Van Knippenberg, 2008) to understand group creativity and innovation. Although distinct phenomena, group creativity and innovation are both considered a function of epistemic motivation (EM; the degree to which group members tend to systematically process a...

Part 1. Introduction. D. De Cremer, R. Van Dick, J.K. Murnighan, On Social Beings and Organizational Animals: A Social Psychological Approach to Organizations. Part 2. Leadership, Power, and Social Influence. A.D. Galinsky, D. Rus, J. Lammers, Power: A Central Force Governing Psychological, Social, and Organizational Life. D. De Cremer, T.R. Tyler,...

Previous work suggests that trait behavioral activation may link to creativity, a possibility the authors empirically examine in this article. This research is grounded in the dual pathway to creativity model and experiments on approach orientation, and the authors propose that behavioral activation potentiates creativity when and because it facili...

Humans regulate intergroup conflict through parochial altruism; they self-sacrifice to contribute to in-group welfare and to aggress against competing out-groups. Parochial altruism has distinct survival functions, and the brain may have evolved to sustain and promote in-group cohesion and effectiveness and to ward off threatening out-groups. Here,...

At a top psychology journal, Psychological Science (PS), submissions peak during the summer months. We tested whether this seasonal submission bias decreases the likelihood of a paper being accepted in that period. Month of submission data was obtained for all 575 publications in PS for the period 2003-2006. Whereas submissions to PS were higher in...

The dual pathway to creativity model argues that creativity—the generation of original and appropriate ideas—is a function of cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence, and that dispositional or situational variables may influence creativity either through their effects on flexibility, on persistence, or both. This model is tested in a number...

Mood, motivational orientation, fit, and creativity: The role of mental activation Mood, motivational orientation, fit, and creativity: The role of mental activation M. Baas, C.K.W. De Dreu, & B.A. Nijstad, Gedrag & Organisatie, volume 23, March 2010, nr. 1, pp. 00-00. This article aims to increase our understanding of the ways mood and motivationa...

This article aims to increase our understanding of the ways mood and motivational states influence creativity. Based on the dual pathway to creativity model, we argue that creativity is function of flexibility (the number of content categories that is surveyed), and of persistence (the exploration of a few content categories in great depth). Second...

Sometimes social influence processes are the driving force behind the creation of new products, services, and modes of conduct. In this paper we argue that minority dissent and its ensuing influence provides an example par excellence, and we reviewed and interpret findings on minority influence and creativity in terms of the motivated information p...

This meta-analysis synthesized 102 effect sizes reflecting the relation between specific moods and creativity. Effect sizes overall revealed that positive moods produce more creativity than mood-neutral controls (r= .15), but no significant differences between negative moods and mood-neutral controls (r= -.03) or between positive and negative moods...

To understand when and why mood states influence creativity, the authors developed and tested a dual pathway to creativity model; creative fluency (number of ideas or insights) and originality (novelty) are functions of cognitive flexibility, persistence, or some combination thereof. Invoking work on arousal, psychophysiological processes, and work...