Effects of secure priming and performance feedback on creativity

The present study assessed the effects of secure priming, referring to attachment security and a sense that the world is safe, and performance feedback on people’s creativity. It was hypothesized that the induced positive mood and motivation would redistribute resources away from self-protection towards self-worthiness and a more exploratory mind- set, enabling curiosity, expansive reasoning and creativity. 92 psychology students completed an online experiment with factorial design, followed by assessments of cognitive ability and attachment style. Results provided a significant correlation between cognitive ability and creativity, a close to significant difference in creativity between secure and dismissing attachment, but no significant effects of secure priming or gamification. Methodological limitations that may have reduced the strength of the conditions and the likelihood of detecting significant effects were discussed.