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Tradeoffs Between Ideas and Structure: Individual Versus Group Performance in Creative Problem Solving
Author(s) -
MUMFORD MICHAEL D.,
FELDMAN JACK M.,
HEIN MICHAEL B.,
NAGAO DENNIS J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the journal of creative behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.896
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 2162-6057
pISSN - 0022-0175
DOI - 10.1002/j.2162-6057.2001.tb01218.x
Subject(s) - creativity , situational ethics , priming (agriculture) , elaboration , group (periodic table) , psychology , creative problem solving , psychological intervention , cognitive psychology , computer science , social psychology , mathematics education , humanities , psychiatry , philosophy , chemistry , botany , germination , organic chemistry , biology
The present effort was intended to assess how situational variables influence the relative performance of groups and individuals on creative problem‐solving tasks. More specifically, a priming manipulation was used to increase the number of alternatives available for problem solving while training was used to provide groups with shared mental models bearing on the problem. It was found that having more ideas available led to better individual performance. Group performance, however, was enhanced by training appropriate to problem content that allowed for elaboration and refinement of ideas. These findings indicate that interventions intended to enhance creativity may have different effects at the individual and group level. The need to consider multiple levels of situational influences in attempts to understand creative achievement is discussed.