Domain-Specific Exemplars Affect Implicit Theories of Creativity

An experimental survey was distributed to 321 undergraduate students to test the hypothesis that implicit theories of creativity vary according to creative domain. Participants were randomly assigned to groups in which they were instructed to imagine a self-generated exemplar of a creative product in 1 of 6 traditionally creative domains: art, science, technology, music, design, or writing. Participants then rated the likelihood that each of 39 creative traits would be found in the individual who created his or her self-generated exemplar product. Results illustrate that participants were sensitive to the differences in trait profiles typically attributed to artists and scientists. Artist and musician exemplars were rated higher on nonentrenchment and aesthetic taste than were exemplars from science and technology. Overall, participants' implicit theories reflected a positive association between creative productivity and intellectuality. The results have implications for efforts to enhance the participation of undergraduates in creative endeavors in the arts and sciences and, more generally, to understand how laypersons view and ultimately evaluate creative behavior and productivity.