The effect of problem solving approaches on creativity, fixation, and enacted task complexity.

Abstract

The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of problem solving approaches on the creative process and the creative outcome. Particularly, we explored the effect of action-oriented problem solving, unconscious thought, and analytical thought on creativity, enacted task complexity, and fixation. The effect of an incubation period was investigated as a potential moderator in the relation between problem solving approaches and creativity and between problem solving approaches and fixation. Participants included 129 students from BI Norwegian Business School who completed the nine-dot problem. Results showed that participants in the unconscious thought condition performed significantly better than participants in the analytical thought condition and the action-oriented problem solving condition, followed by the analytical thought condition. Furthermore, results showed that participants in the analytical thought condition became significantly more fixated than the two other conditions during the problem solving process. Results did not support the moderating effect of an incubation period. The insights obtained in this study may help organizations facilitate individual creativity, which today is considered one of the most important drivers of growth, innovation, and success.