Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope
Previous studies have shown that creativity is enhanced by a broad attentional scope, defined as an ability to utilize peripheral stimuli and process information globally. We propose that the reverse relationship also holds, and that breadth of attention also is a consequence of engaging in a creati...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01772/full |
| _version_ | 1819228588166086656 |
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| author | Marta K. Wronska Marta K. Wronska Alina Kolańczyk Bernard A. Nijstad |
| author_facet | Marta K. Wronska Marta K. Wronska Alina Kolańczyk Bernard A. Nijstad |
| author_sort | Marta K. Wronska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous studies have shown that creativity is enhanced by a broad attentional scope, defined as an ability to utilize peripheral stimuli and process information globally. We propose that the reverse relationship also holds, and that breadth of attention also is a consequence of engaging in a creative activity. In Study 1, participants showed increased breadth of attention in a visual scanning task after performing a divergent thinking task as opposed to an analytic thinking task. In Study 2, participants recognized peripheral stimuli displayed during the task better after performing a divergent thinking task as compared to an analytic task, whereas recognition performance of participants performing a task that involves a mix of divergent and analytic thinking (the Remote Associates Test) fell in between. Additionally, in Study 2 (but not in Study 1), breadth of attention was positively correlated with performance in a divergent thinking task, but not with performance in an analytic thinking task. Our findings suggest that the adjustment of the cognitive system to task demands manifests at a very basic, perceptual level, through changes in the breadth of visual attention. This paper contributes a new, motivational perspective on attentional breadth and discusses it as a result of adjusting cognitive processing to the task requirements, which contributes to effective self-regulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:59:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-894a963323a84b65b3a8e3a7d54f68da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:59:40Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-894a963323a84b65b3a8e3a7d54f68da2022-12-21T17:49:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-09-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.01772377394Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional ScopeMarta K. Wronska0Marta K. Wronska1Alina Kolańczyk2Bernard A. Nijstad3Faculty in Sopot, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sopot, PolandDepartment of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsFaculty in Sopot, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sopot, PolandDepartment of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsPrevious studies have shown that creativity is enhanced by a broad attentional scope, defined as an ability to utilize peripheral stimuli and process information globally. We propose that the reverse relationship also holds, and that breadth of attention also is a consequence of engaging in a creative activity. In Study 1, participants showed increased breadth of attention in a visual scanning task after performing a divergent thinking task as opposed to an analytic thinking task. In Study 2, participants recognized peripheral stimuli displayed during the task better after performing a divergent thinking task as compared to an analytic task, whereas recognition performance of participants performing a task that involves a mix of divergent and analytic thinking (the Remote Associates Test) fell in between. Additionally, in Study 2 (but not in Study 1), breadth of attention was positively correlated with performance in a divergent thinking task, but not with performance in an analytic thinking task. Our findings suggest that the adjustment of the cognitive system to task demands manifests at a very basic, perceptual level, through changes in the breadth of visual attention. This paper contributes a new, motivational perspective on attentional breadth and discusses it as a result of adjusting cognitive processing to the task requirements, which contributes to effective self-regulation.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01772/fullcreativityidea generationdivergent thinkingbreadth of attentionself-regulationanalytic thinking |
| spellingShingle | Marta K. Wronska Marta K. Wronska Alina Kolańczyk Bernard A. Nijstad Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope Frontiers in Psychology creativity idea generation divergent thinking breadth of attention self-regulation analytic thinking |
| title | Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope |
| title_full | Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope |
| title_fullStr | Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope |
| title_full_unstemmed | Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope |
| title_short | Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope |
| title_sort | engaging in creativity broadens attentional scope |
| topic | creativity idea generation divergent thinking breadth of attention self-regulation analytic thinking |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01772/full |
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