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Creativity for Deliberate Harm: Malevolent Creativity and Social Information Processing Theory
Author(s) -
Gutworth Melissa B.,
Cushenbery Lily,
Hunter Samuel T.
Publication year - 2018
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/jocb.155
Subject(s) - creativity , psychology , situational ethics , harm , social psychology , social information processing , creativity technique , test (biology) , cognition , personality , social cognitive theory , cognitive psychology , applied psychology , paleontology , neuroscience , biology
Both popular press and academic research laud the benefits of creativity. Malevolent creativity, however, is the application of creativity to intentionally harm others. This study examines predictors of malevolent creativity, considering both contextual and individual difference influences. Social information processing theory suggests that situational cues might be more influential in shaping malevolent creativity. Two experimental laboratory studies test the effects of both formal and informal situational cues and find that these factors are predictive of malevolent creativity components above and beyond individual differences such as personality and cognitive ability. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

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