The dual pathway to creativity model: Creative ideation as a function of flexibility and persistence

Abstract

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 of studies in which participants performed creative ideation tasks. We review work showing that cognitive flexibility, operationalised as the number of content categories surveyed, directly relates to idea originality, but that originality can also be achieved by exploring a few content categories in great depth (i.e., persistence). We also show that a global processing mode is associated with cognitive flexibility, but only leads to high originality in tasks that capitalise on cognitive flexibility. We finally show that activating positive mood states enhance creativity because they stimulate flexibility, while activating negative mood states can enhance creativity because they stimulate persistence. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Suspicious spirits, flexible minds: When distrust enhances creativity.

“…Alternatively, the cognitive qualities of distrust in terms of enhanced flexibility might become enriched by enhanced persistence. The latter case may reflect a particularly beneficial combination of both the flexibility and the persistence pathway to creativity proposed by the Dual Pathway to Creativity Model (cf., Baas et al, 2008;Nijstad, De Dreu, Rietzschel, & Baas, 2010). In the case of focused distrust, it seems advisable to differentiate between extreme forms of distrust and states of "neither-trust-nor-distrust" (Schul et al, 2008(Schul et al, , p. 1301, which have also been specifically referred to as suspicion (Fein, 1996;Schul et al, 1996;Sinaceur, 2010).…”

Untitled

“…The current paper defines stability as the opposite of flexibility. What Nijstad et al (2010) argues is that persistence can help turn stability into flexibility. It would be advised to implement this point in the current paper's cognitive system of flexibility.…”

The social life of the novel idea: what did social psychologists ever do for us?

“…Interestingly though, when a negative climate induces negative mood states which prompt an active response (e.g. anger, fear rather than sadness or depression), creative performance is enhanced through sheer persistence (Nijstad et al, 2010). These aspects of work group climate for innovation are summarised in West's four factor theory which identifies predictors of innovativeness -vision, participative safety, task orientation and support for innovation (Anderson and West, 1998) …”

“…With this in mind, design managers who wish to enhance innovative performance must therefore endeavour to establish a collaborative, face-to-face culture which fosters the intrinsic motivation to be creative and minimises the extrinsic barriers to idea generation and flow (Amabile et al, 1996, Nijstad et al, 2010. These principles must continue to be managed throughout design and delivery as Amabile's work is further echoed in construction literature by the suggestion that the failure of construction companies to adopt and diffuse the innovations presented may act as a demotivator to employees, becoming a barrier to innovative activity in the future (Steele and Murray, 2004).…”