The creative self and creative thinking: An exploration of predictive effects using Bayes factor analyses

The present research explored the relationship between the creative self and creative performance. Based on prior research purporting that perceptions of the self can predict behavior, the authors predicted that beliefs about the creative self would predict creative performance. Participants completed two scales on beliefs about their creativity (creative self-efficacy; fixed and growth mindsets about creativity), and then completed two types of creativity tasks: three divergent thinking tasks and one creative-problem-solving scenario. Model comparisons based on constellations of predictors were performed using Bayesian analyses (Bayes factors and Bayesian regression). Results show that creative self-efficacy predicted fluency in divergent thinking but did not relate to originality ratings of ideas generated during divergent thinking. Endorsing a fixed mindset about creativity was related to decreased performance in creative problem solving, with no mediation by creative self-efficacy. However, creative self-efficacy remained correlated with growth mindset. Implications for further research on the creative self are discussed