Publication Date
2023
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Finkelstein, Lisa M.
Degree Name
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Legacy Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Prior research has rarely investigated external factors which can improve creative performance, though theory has sometimes suggested environmental factors to be impactful. Much of this hesitancy can be attributed to a misinterpretation of decades-old research which continues to be cited despite recent clarification. The present research investigates the relationships between such external factors (i.e., support for creativity, psychological safety, creative self-efficacy) and creativity. Specifically, psychological safety was expected to mediate the relationship between creative support and creativity, while creative self-efficacy was expected to predict creativity. Ninety-four undergraduate psychology students underwent workplace support for creativity and creative self-efficacy manipulations before responding to a psychological safety questionnaire and engaging in a series of divergent thinking tasks. Creativity scores were computed based on the uniqueness of a given response within the specific task. Significant relationships were found between support for creativity and psychological safety and between creative self-efficacy and creativity. Though most hypotheses were unsupported, the latter relationship seems to support the overall idea that creativity can be externally manipulated. This finding provides insight into creative self-efficacy as well as creativity itself and may provide an avenue through which individual creativity can be increased in organizations and potentially other environments.
Recommended Citation
Gibson, Cody T., "Creativity in the Workplace: A Matter of Chaos or Cohesion?" (2023). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 7825.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/7825
Extent
73 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
