How Creative Group Activity Influences an Individual Creativity: Verification of a Priori and a Posteriori Hypotheses by Means of Structural Equation Modeling

P. 281–298.

Mitina O., Babaeva J., Yagolkovskiy S. R.

In the current study, we evaluate relations between parameters of the ideas exchange process and individual creativity. The following parameters of creativity were analyzed: productivity, flexibility, and originality. Effects of ideas sharing on parameters of creativity were assessed in an idea exposure paradigm. Stimulus ideas were subdivided into 4 semantic categories: with high level of novelty; with low level of originality; of aggressive content; "silly". The hypotheses were that the individual creativity is influenced by the semantic characteristics and the way of the exposure of stimulus ideas; that the originality of subject's ideas depends on the level of novelty of stimulus ideas. We analyzed obtained data using structural equation modeling (SEM). Experimental results showed the most intensive changes in creativity in groups, where ideas with high level of novelty, as well as "silly", "senseless" had been exposed. The results of the study could be applied to a practice of generation of novel ideas and their assessment, as well as to various procedures and stages for the stimulation  of individual creativity.

Keywords: творческий процесс, коллективное творчество, creative process, individual creativity, exchange of ideas, collective creativity, индивидуальное творчество, обмен идеями

In book

Psychology in Russia: State of the Art

M.: Department of Psychology MSU&IG-SOCIN, 2008.