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Illuminating the dark side of creative expression: assimilation needs and the consequences of creative action following mortality salience?

Illuminating the dark side of creative expression: assimilation needs and the consequences of creative action following mortality salience?
Illuminating the dark side of creative expression: assimilation needs and the consequences of creative action following mortality salience?
Previous research indicates that mortality salience and creative behavior combine to increase feelings of guilt, presumably over the disruption to social connection elicited by the call for innovative expression. The present studies examined whether satiating assimilation motives by highlighting conformity to others reduces this effect (Study 1) and facilitates positive psychological engagement (Study 2). Study 1 used a 2 (conformity vs. neutral feedback)x 2 (mortality salience vs. control)x 2 (creative task vs. noncreative task) design and had participants complete a self-report measure of guilt. Study 2 used a 2 (mortality salience vs. control)x 2 (other goal task vs. self-goal task) design, and after a creativity exercise, had participants complete measures of positive mood, vitality, and creative problem solving. Results indicated attending to assimilation needs reduced the elevated guilt that follows the juxtaposition of mortality salience and creative behavior and also increased a sense of positive engagement. Implications are briefly discussed.
terror management, creativity, growth motivation, emotions
0146-1672
1327-1339
Arndt, Jamie
9f74041c-58f9-43b5-96f1-19dda49b7d87
Routledge, Clay
c1e0088a-3cc4-4d54-bbd3-de7d286429d8
Greenberg, Jeff
5fe9b8dc-9ff6-4e23-9465-07a4aa2682f0
Sheldon, Kennon M.
298d6546-6bba-422f-8ae0-b898d998970a
Arndt, Jamie
9f74041c-58f9-43b5-96f1-19dda49b7d87
Routledge, Clay
c1e0088a-3cc4-4d54-bbd3-de7d286429d8
Greenberg, Jeff
5fe9b8dc-9ff6-4e23-9465-07a4aa2682f0
Sheldon, Kennon M.
298d6546-6bba-422f-8ae0-b898d998970a

Arndt, Jamie, Routledge, Clay, Greenberg, Jeff and Sheldon, Kennon M. (2005) Illuminating the dark side of creative expression: assimilation needs and the consequences of creative action following mortality salience? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31 (10), 1327-1339. (doi:10.1177/0146167205274690).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Previous research indicates that mortality salience and creative behavior combine to increase feelings of guilt, presumably over the disruption to social connection elicited by the call for innovative expression. The present studies examined whether satiating assimilation motives by highlighting conformity to others reduces this effect (Study 1) and facilitates positive psychological engagement (Study 2). Study 1 used a 2 (conformity vs. neutral feedback)x 2 (mortality salience vs. control)x 2 (creative task vs. noncreative task) design and had participants complete a self-report measure of guilt. Study 2 used a 2 (mortality salience vs. control)x 2 (other goal task vs. self-goal task) design, and after a creativity exercise, had participants complete measures of positive mood, vitality, and creative problem solving. Results indicated attending to assimilation needs reduced the elevated guilt that follows the juxtaposition of mortality salience and creative behavior and also increased a sense of positive engagement. Implications are briefly discussed.

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Published date: 2005
Keywords: terror management, creativity, growth motivation, emotions

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 40160
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/40160
ISSN: 0146-1672
PURE UUID: 765d16b9-56ac-4f89-8839-21337e3f4900

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Date deposited: 03 Jul 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 08:17

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Contributors

Author: Jamie Arndt
Author: Clay Routledge
Author: Jeff Greenberg
Author: Kennon M. Sheldon

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