The Cost of Freedom: Creative Ideation Boosts Both Feelings of Autonomy and the Fear of Judgment

Kim, Sahoon; Goncalo, Jack A.; Rodas, Maria A.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116298 Copy

Description

Title

The Cost of Freedom: Creative Ideation Boosts Both Feelings of Autonomy and the Fear of Judgment

Author(s)

• Kim, Sahoon
• Goncalo, Jack A.
• Rodas, Maria A.

Issue Date

2023-08-01

Keyword(s)

• creativity
• autonomy
• evaluation apprehension
• pre-registered
• open materials
• open data

Abstract

Most research has focused on the predictors of creative output but there is growing interest in the consequences of being creative for psychological well-being. We propose that the consequences of creativity can be a double-edged sword—boosting feelings of autonomy while at the same time triggering a fear of judgement. In three pre-registered experiments (N = 740), participants were asked to generate either creative or non-creative ideas. Participants in the creative (vs. non-creative) condition reported feeling a higher sense of autonomy while completing the task (Study 1). This feeling of autonomy emerged because participants instructed to generate creative ideas were able to cross multiple idea domains and cross idea boundaries during the process (Studies 2 and 3). However, creative ideation also increased evaluation apprehension because the freedom to think divergently affords the opportunity for choice, which heightens the fear of judgement (Study 3). We discuss the implications of our findings for the promise and peril of creative ideation as a psychological intervention to improve well-being.

Publisher

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Owning Collections