Creativity, Overinclusion, and Everyday Tasks

Abstract

This study examined relations between creative thinking and performance on routine, everyday tasks. Results were considered in light of past research on the putative relation between creativity and schizophrenia/psychotic thinking. Thirty healthy undergraduates completed the Alternative Uses Task, a measure of divergent thinking, and the 2 × 3 Multi-Level Action Test, a performance-based measure of everyday action. The Alternative Uses Task was scored for fluency (total plausible uses), originality (uniqueness of responses), and errors (inappropriate uses). The 2 × 3 Multi-Level Action Test was scored for omissions (step not performed), commissions (step performed incorrectly), and additions (performing off-task step). Correlations between Alternative Uses Task and 2 × 3 Multi-Level Action Test variables showed originality was highly associated with both omissions and commissions, such that the more unique responses one generated, the fewer everyday action errors were made. Alternative Uses Task errors were positively correlated with action additions, indicating that overinclusive thinking on a measure of divergent thinking was associated with off-task/overinclusive everyday action. These results demonstrated meaningful associations between specific dimensions of creativity and specific everyday task errors. When considered in light of past research on schizophrenia, the results suggest creativity in psychosis may reflect inappropriate, overinclusive thinking rather than original, effective thought.