Effects of Cognitive Load and Problem Solving Styles on Creative Productivity

Many educational programs in various settings place great emphasis on promoting the ability to create original ideas, products, and solutions that will be both novel and valuable. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of the problem solving style and cognitive load theory on creative productivity. The central research question focused on whether creative productivity statistically differed based on the relationships of the problem solving style to cognitive load during the creation of a creative written task. One hundred and eighty adults completed surveys to assess their problem solving style and cognitive load, while a written task was used to assess creative productivity. Results revealed that the data did not support either research hypothesis that creativity would be affected by cognitive load or that problem solving style would influence creativity. Future research calls for more “mixed” method research on style and cognitive load should also be encouraged, with varieties of both quantitative and qualitative assessments and analyses