The Relationship Between Stressors and Creativity: A Meta-Analysis Examining Competing Theoretical Models

• 成果类型: Review
• 署名作者: Byron, Kristin; Khazanchi, Shalini; Nazarian, Deborah
• 署名单位: Syracuse University; Rochester Institute of Technology; Syracuse University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/a0017868
• 发表日期: 2010
• 页码: 201-212
• 关键词: CREATIVITY; originality; stress; STRESSORS; Meta-analysis

摘要

Competing theoretical models and equivocal evidence leave unanswered questions regarding stressors' effect on creativity. The present meta-analysis of 76 experimental studies (including 82 independent samples) aims to clarify this association and identify factors that may explain differences between studies. Our results suggest that the effect of stressors on creative performance depends on how stress-inducing the stressor is and what type of stress is induced. We found a curvilinear relationship between evaluative stress and creativity such that low evaluative contexts increased creative performance over control conditions, whereas highly evaluative contexts decreased creative performance. We found a linearly negative relationship between uncontrollability and creativity such that more uncontrollability decreased creative performance. The results suggest that stressors' effect on creativity is more complex than previously assumed and points to the need for understanding boundary conditions that shed light on inconsistent findings.