Emotion as the Foundation of Creativity

The starting point for this study was the hypothesis that creativity is connected with emotions. The author applied CogAT, a widely known instrument for measuring creativity, calibrated it on the observed sample, and obtained a high level of internal consistency, as measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0,83). In addition, he drafted his own instrument called CREM, measuring creativity and emotions. It was also calibrated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and obtained satisfactory coefficients (α = 0,50 for tasks in a mathematics textbook, α = 0,83 for positive emotions and α = 0,78 for negative emotions). Crossing variables showed that creativity is in fact driven by emotions, but more by negative than positive ones. The stability of the correlation was tested measuring the effect size. It turned out that the correlation increased over time (r = –0,41 to r = –0,88). This is indeed logical – the longer we carry a problem, the more frustration will grow over not finding a solution. What remains is to explore whether a creative solution elicits positive emotions.