Teaching People to Manage Constraints: Effects on Creative Problem-Solving

Constraints often inhibit creative problem-solving. This study examined the impact of training strategies for managing constraints on creative problem-solving. Undergraduates, 218 in all, were asked to work through 1 to 4 self-paced instructional programs focused on constraint management strategies....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Creativity research journal 2013-07, Vol.25 (3), p.335-347
Main Authors: Peterson, David R., Barrett, Jamie D., Hester, Kimberly S., Robledo, Issac C., Hougen, Dean F., Day, Eric A., Mumford, Michael D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Barriers
College students
Creative Thinking
Creativity
Individualized Instruction
Instructional Effectiveness
Pacing
Problem Solving
Skill development
Studies
Talent
Training
Undergraduate Students
United States (Southwest)
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Summary:Constraints often inhibit creative problem-solving. This study examined the impact of training strategies for managing constraints on creative problem-solving. Undergraduates, 218 in all, were asked to work through 1 to 4 self-paced instructional programs focused on constraint management strategies. The quality, originality, and elegance of solutions to social innovation problems were assessed. It was found that providing training in managing resource constraints was generally valuable. For talented individuals, providing training in managing user skill constraints also proved valuable. The implications of these findings for training intended to improve creative thinking are discussed.
ISSN:1040-0419
1532-6934
DOI:10.1080/10400419.2013.813809