To create without losing face: The effects of face cultural logic and social‐image affirmation on creativity

Abstract

SummaryCreativity is universally valued and desired. Yet, people are often reluctant to engage in creativity out of fear of being dismissed by others and losing face—the positive social image that individuals want to maintain in the presence of others. This paper investigates the effect of face logic endorsement on creativity and proposes face as a possible new explanation for cross‐cultural differences in creativity. In three studies using different creativity tasks and with participants from Japan, Israel, and the United States, participants who endorsed the cultural logic of face were less creative than those less endorsing this logic. Face logic endorsement mediated the effect of culture on the novelty and fluency dimensions of creativity (Study 1). Furthermore, social‐image affirmation moderated the effects of culture and face logic endorsement on creativity. When individuals' social image was affirmed, cultural differences in creativity were weakened (Study 2), and the within‐culture association between face logic endorsement and creativity disappeared (Study 3). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for fostering creativity in different cultures and in multicultural settings. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.