The collective origins of valued originality: a social identity approach to creativity.
Prevailing approaches to individual and group creativity have focused on personal factors that contribute to creative behavior (e.g., personality, intelligence, motivation), and the processes of behaving creatively and appreciating creativity are understood to be largely unrelated. This article uses social identity and self-categorization theories as the basis for a model of creativity that addresses these lacunae by emphasizing the role that groups play in stimulating and shaping creative acts and in determining the reception they are given. We argue that shared social identity (or lack of it) motivates individuals to rise to particular creative challenges and provides a basis for certain forms of creativity to be recognized (or disregarded). Empirical work informed by this approach supports eight novel hypotheses relating to individual, group, and systemic dimensions of the creativity process. These also provide an agenda for future creativity research.
1University of Queensland, Australia.
S Alexander
SA
Haslam
Inmaculada
I
Adarves-Yorno
Tom
T
Postmes
Lise
L
Jans
D003405:Creativity; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification
creativity; group processes; self-categorization; self/identity; social identity