Connecting the Dots Within: Creative Performance and Identity Integration

Author

Chi-Ying CHENG, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Fion LEE, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

11-2008

Abstract

In two studies drawing from social identity theory and the creative-cognition approach, we found that higher levels of identity integration - perceived compatibility between two social identities - predict higher levels of creative performance in tasks that draw on both identity-relevant knowledge domains. Study 1 showed that Asian Americans with higher identity integration were more creative in developing new dishes using a given set of ingredients, but only when both Asian and American ingredients were available. Study 2 showed that female engineers with higher identity integration were more creative in designing a product, but only when the product was targeted to female users. These findings suggest that the psychological management of multiple social identities may be related to accessibility of multiple knowledge domains, which in turn influences creativity.

Discipline

Cognitive Psychology | Personality and Social Contexts | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Psychological Science

Volume

19

Issue

11

First Page

1178

Last Page

1184

ISSN

1467-9280

Identifier

10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02220.x

Publisher

SAGE

Citation

CHENG, Chi-Ying, Sanchez-Burks, Jeffrey, & LEE, Fion.(2008). Connecting the Dots Within: Creative Performance and Identity Integration. Psychological Science, 19(11), 1178-1184.

Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/620

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02220.x