ERIC Number: EJ1461976
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Feb
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0175
EISSN: EISSN-2162-6057
Available Date: 2024-01-25
Curious and Persistent, but Not Consistent: Self-Regulation Traits and Creativity
Journal of Creative Behavior, v59 n1 e638 2025
The present study examines two self-regulation traits, grit and curiosity, in predicting creative achievement in an adult sample (N = 522). Grit has been related to achievement in various domains, and although prior empirical work failed to find associations with everyday creative activities in adolescent and young adult samples, theoretically it is relevant to long-term creative achievement (which requires persistence). Curiosity supports creative achievement through positive judgments of novelty and an intrinsic motivation to approach instead of avoid uncertainty, and both novelty and uncertainty are central to the creative process. Results showed that the perseverance dimension of grit positively predicted creative achievement, whereas the consistency of interests dimension was negatively related to creative achievement. Additionally, five curiosity dimensions predicted creative achievement above grit. In particular, thrill seeking predicted creative achievement in both art and science; deprivation sensitivity positively predicted creative achievement in art. Our research suggests that, instead of a narrow focus on consistency of interest, creative achievement benefits from curiosity.
Descriptors: Self Control, Personality Traits, Achievement, Persistence, Adults, Novelty (Stimulus Dimension), Motivation, Ambiguity (Context), Predictor Variables, Art, Sciences, Creativity
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Yale University; 2George Mason University; 3Columbia University