Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them
Creative thinking is an indispensable cognitive skill that is becoming increasingly important. In the present research, we tested the impact of games on creativity and emotions in a between-subject online experiment with four conditions (N = 658). (1) participants played a simple puzzle game that al...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.976459/full |
| _version_ | 1817995447823761408 |
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| author | Jennifer Haase Jennifer Haase Paul H. P. Hanel |
| author_facet | Jennifer Haase Jennifer Haase Paul H. P. Hanel |
| author_sort | Jennifer Haase |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Creative thinking is an indispensable cognitive skill that is becoming increasingly important. In the present research, we tested the impact of games on creativity and emotions in a between-subject online experiment with four conditions (N = 658). (1) participants played a simple puzzle game that allowed many solutions (priming divergent thinking); (2) participants played a short game that required one fitting solution (priming convergent thinking); (3) participants performed mental arithmetic; (4) passive control condition. Results show that divergent and convergent creativity were higher after playing games and lower after mental arithmetic. Positive emotions did not function as a mediator, even though they were also heightened after playing the games and lower after mental arithmetic. However, contrary to previous research, we found no direct effect of emotions, creative self-efficacy, and growth- vs. fixed on creative performance. We discuss practical implications for digital learning and application settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:06:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b2bf83b67f634d18a053056631d07edb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:06:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-b2bf83b67f634d18a053056631d07edb2022-12-22T02:18:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2022-08-01710.3389/feduc.2022.976459976459Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance themJennifer Haase0Jennifer Haase1Paul H. P. Hanel2Department of Business Informatics, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, GermanyWeizenbaum Institute, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United KingdomCreative thinking is an indispensable cognitive skill that is becoming increasingly important. In the present research, we tested the impact of games on creativity and emotions in a between-subject online experiment with four conditions (N = 658). (1) participants played a simple puzzle game that allowed many solutions (priming divergent thinking); (2) participants played a short game that required one fitting solution (priming convergent thinking); (3) participants performed mental arithmetic; (4) passive control condition. Results show that divergent and convergent creativity were higher after playing games and lower after mental arithmetic. Positive emotions did not function as a mediator, even though they were also heightened after playing the games and lower after mental arithmetic. However, contrary to previous research, we found no direct effect of emotions, creative self-efficacy, and growth- vs. fixed on creative performance. We discuss practical implications for digital learning and application settings.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.976459/fullcreativityprimingenhancementmathgameshappiness |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer Haase Jennifer Haase Paul H. P. Hanel Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them Frontiers in Education creativity priming enhancement math games happiness |
| title | Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them |
| title_full | Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them |
| title_fullStr | Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them |
| title_full_unstemmed | Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them |
| title_short | Priming creativity: Doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them |
| title_sort | priming creativity doing math reduces creativity and happiness whereas playing short online games enhance them |
| topic | creativity priming enhancement math games happiness |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.976459/full |
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