MOTIVATION AND CREATIVITY: EFFECTS OF PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, REGULATORY FOCUS AND DISPOSTIONAL EMPATHY ON CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Abstract

Creativity is often prioritised in the innovation of sustainable solutions to help solve real world problems. While there has been extensive research on the roles that individual factors play in creativity, the role of other-related processes remains lesser known. The current study focuses on specific task motivation, the central tenet of Amabile’s (1983) componential model of creativity. It hypothesised that task motivation experienced during creative problem-solving is influenced by empathic perspective-taking, regulatory focus and dispositional empathy. 300 Singaporean undergraduates were randomly assigned to either a low or high perspective-taking condition. Thereafter, they underwent either a promotion or prevention regulatory focus message framing condition. Dispositional empathy was measured as well. Participants underwent the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT), generating creative solutions to the pertinent local problem of an aging population. Analyses revealed that higher perspective-taking and a promotion focus were found to enhance creativity. A three-way interaction between all three variables was found for the creativity component of effectiveness, which assesses how useful and feasible a solution is. Limitations, future directions and implications are discussed.