The interplay between scientific motivation, creative process engagement, and scientific creativity: A network analysis study

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According to the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the Componential Model of Creativity (CMC), scientific motivation and creative process engagement are potentially involved in producing scientific creativity. Critically, more evidence is needed for how these constructs contribute to scientific creativity. For these reasons, the present study recruited 390 participants to complete online questionnaires on scientific motivation, creative process engagement, and scientific creativity. Correlation Network Analysis and Bayesian Network Analysis were employed to get an integrated model for studying the interactive effects among the factors. Bootstrap analysis was used to determine the critical path between these factors. Results showed that: (1) Intrinsic-related scientific motivation played critical roles in the regularized partial correlation network involving scientific motivation, creative process engagement, and scientific creativity. Further, more sparsity was revealed in the partial correlation network of males, but the scientific creativity of males is more strongly linked with other nodes in the network. (2) Career motivation was the parent node for the Bayesian Network and would positively impact scientific creativity by transforming it into intrinsic-related scientific motivation. In addition, idea generation and intrinsic motivation directly drive scientific creativity. The parent nodes of male and female Bayesian networks are different, but IMPR plays a central role in males and females. (3) The bootstrap path analysis further verified pathways revealed by the Bayesian Network, as extrinsic-related motivation influenced scientific creativity through intrinsic motivation and creative process engagement. These findings demonstrate that intrinsic-related scientific motivations are the critical factor for promoting scientific creativity and that females and males show different network characteristics. Educational relevance statementEnhancing our understanding of how scientific motivation and engagement in the creative process contribute to scientific creativity is crucial for developing targeted intervention programs to improve science education. By identifying students who exhibit lower levels of intrinsic motivation in science subjects, teachers can intervene early and prevent motivational issues and subsequent underachievement. Intrinsic motivation and active engagement in the creative process are critical factors in fostering scientific creativity. Creating an open and spontaneous learning environment enables students to explore freely and actively participate in the creative process, which enhances their creativity. However, it is essential to ensure that students refrain from mindlessly pursuing scientific careers, as this may hinder their scientific creativity. Integrating career motivation with intrinsic motivation can be a practical approach to promote engagement in the creative process and facilitate the development of scientific creativity. Educators should also provide a broader range of cognitive activities related to creativity. It is equally important to foster scientific motivation and promote scientific innovation among male and female students. Additionally, boys may benefit from specific career guidance to enhance their self-efficacy. In contrast, given that girls are less creative in their self-perception, interventions to address this lower creative self-efficacy seem especially important. For this, cultivating intrinsic motivation in science and promoting effective engagement in creative activities may be particularly effective for girls. Overall, by understanding the relationship between scientific motivation, creative process engagement, and scientific creativity, educators can design interventions that cater to individual needs and foster a supportive environment for students to excel in science education.