Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle
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Fast Company
4 days ago
- Fast Company
Struggling with creativity? You may be Googling too much, says new study
We can all agree that the internet is an never-ending repository of information. But new research out of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has found that, in some cases, 'Googling' can get in the way of a good brainstorm session and actually hinder creativity. In a recent study published in the journal Memory & Cognition, researchers asked participants to brainstorm new ways to use one of two common objects—a shield or an umbrella—either with or without internet access. In some trials, study participants could access Google search; in other trials, they couldn't use a search engine. Of the groups, those with access to Google, for the most part, came up with the same common answers, often in the same exact order. '[That's because] they relied on Google, while non-Google users came up with more distinct answers,' lead study author Danny Oppenheimer, professor at CMU's Department of Social and Decision Sciences, explained. That is to say, researchers found that while individual creativity may be enhanced by internet access, groups articulate fewer novel solutions when provided internet access, suggesting that internet access may constrain collective creative fluency. Said another way: 'Thinking outside the box means thinking outside the search engine.' This could be an example of 'fixation effects,' where being shown a possible solution influences participants to think of similar answers, but also obstructs them from thinking of new or different answers. For example, Oppenheimer said, when given a prompt such as 'things you might spread,' participants with access to Google might suggest 'butter' or 'jam,' while others who lack internet search access might suggest something along the lines of 'disease' or 'rumors.' Oppenheimer said we should accept that internet access is changing the way people think and problem solve, but instead of banning search engines, we should learn how to use them better. 'The internet isn't making us dumb, but we may be using it in ways that aren't helpful,' he added. Oppenheimer and study coauthor Mark Patterson, an assistant teaching professor at CMU's Department of Social and Decision Sciences, think different prompt engineering strategies might lead to different, even better, results. 'Our hope is that by studying how human thought interacts with technology use, we can figure out ways to glean the best of the internet while minimizing the negative consequences,' Patterson said.
CNBC
4 days ago
- CNBC
Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle
Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, PhD is a senior research scientist at Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence. She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today and Creativity Post, and co-editor of "The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity and Emotions" and "Crises, Creativity, and Innovation." She is the author of "The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions to Turn Ideas into Action." She lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Forbes
Stuck? Your Creative Environment Might Be The Problem
Feeling stuck? Creative blocks don't necessarily mean that something's wrong with you. Maybe it's ... More your place. Stuck. Stuckness. While working on the opening of this article about the creative environment, my mind became fixated on those two words: stuck and stuckness. What do they actually mean? Being the kind of girl who used to read the introductions to dictionaries—and loves etymology enough to subscribe to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)—I had to look it up. According to the OED, the sense we're after for the adjective stuck is the fourth definition, which comes after: And finally, the fourth meaning, split into two: If you're feeling stuck, it might be due to your physical creative environment. I bet you're thinking, 'Okay, Renae, so… what does all of that tell us?' No worries; I had to ask myself the same question. After ruminating on it a bit, I was finally able to capture in words what I intuitively sensed. Being stuck isn't just about mood or motivation or discipline. It's not about something inside you. It's not about you. The adjective's very definition points to being held, trapped, unable to move. It implies something acting on us rather than something we're failing to do. If stuckness can be caused by external forces, then it's worth asking: Could one of those forces be our surroundings? Could the space itsel—thee lighting, the clutter, the layout, the energy—be what's holding us fast, keeping us stuck? 'Eureka!' I thought. That's the shift. When we stop assuming that being stuck in a creative block is always an internal issue, we can start looking around us, outside us. And if we do, we may very well find that our creative environment is out of sync with the kind of thinking, feeling, or making we're trying to do. What science tells us about the creative environment Creativity doesn't always come from within. Sometimes it comes from without, or the physical, ... More sensory creative environment. Researchers have long explored how physical space shapes thinking, feeling, and performance. And though creativity is intensely individual, a growing body of evidence shows that the creative environment—the physical, sensory, and even symbolic features of a space—can either stimulate or stifle the process of idea generation, problem-solving, and expression. In one literature review, scholars identified several environmental variables that significantly affect creativity: lighting, noise, temperature, layout, materials, and natural elements. The authors emphasized that the most productive creative environments tend to offer a balance of stimulation and freedom, spaces that let us focus without monotony and let us experience openness without overload. Other research shows that creativity isn't always about inspiration. It's about inputs. Research confirms that a change in physical setting—even something as small as adding plants, improving lighting, or moving to a new room—can alter your cognitive processes and improve the fluency and originality of your ideas. There's also evidence that our physical surroundings can influence the emotional tone we bring to our creative work. One study of sense of place among students found that emotional attachment to the environment we learn in directly affects our motivation, confidence, and willingness to experiment, all key elements of any creative practice. The research points to a deceptively simple insight: Where you are shapes how you think. And when your space doesn't match your current creative reality, the mismatch can show up as frustration, restlessness, or that familiar fog of stuckness. When your creative environment no longer fits I've long known that I need a clean space if I want to have a creative environment. I've always known that place and space are essential to my well-being. I work from home, and I feel agitated and annoyed when my house is messy—when the kitchen counters are cluttered or the sink's full of dishes. I need visual calm. I always clean before I travel so that a clean space welcomes me home. That reset matters to me. When I first started working from home, I went all out decorating my office—art, color, creative energy everywhere. It's still the same today, lively and full of my personality. A peek into my old creative environment — my home office. These days, you'll find me creating on my ... More recliner in the family room because the energy of this space no longer works for me. But as the type of work I did shifted away from selling my card deck and courses back to freelance writing and editing, the space began to feel wrong. I didn't want to be in it. It no longer felt like me. These days, I use my office just to pay bills, and have plans to completely rework the space so my husband can use it for his real estate business. I now work from a recliner in my family room—my favorite room in the house. It's bright and full of green and feels grounded. There's a fireplace. French doors. Plants that make the space feel alive. Art that's truly a extension of who I am. The space doesn't just feel pretty. It feels good. I enjoy working in it. A creative environment might be just what you need to overcome stuckness. A few years ago, I discovered that my love of place and space matters more than I even knew. In the Human Design system (a blend of astrology, the I Ching, the Kabbalah, the chakra system, and quantum physics), I'm known as a Mental Projector—supposedly the most sensitive type to their physical environment. That revelation explained everything. I wasn't just quirky about needing clean spaces or being drawn to plant- and art-filled nooks. I was responding to environmental cues that, quite literally, helped or hurt my ability to think creatively. A shift in setting equals a shift in inputs when it comes to your creative environment As I spoke about this idea with my husband, he added even more depth and insight. He said that when you live in a place for a while, you become used to the repeated sensory inputs of that environment. Just by physically moving—your desk, your chair, your body—you change your perspective. You disrupt the default patterns. You make it possible to think differently. That's why we like to work from coffee shops when we can. It's also why I love working while traveling—from cafes, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, and even from cruise ships! To me, there's something truly magical about earning money while watching the sea slide by. For me, there's nothing like a creative environment for creative work like the deck of a cruise ... More ship. Even a different room in the same house can do the trick. When the setting changes, so do the inputs. And, invariably, changed outputs follow. What your creative environment might be trying to tell you If your ideas feel sluggish… if your energy feels dim… if you've been blaming yourself for being stuck, it might not be you. It might be your creative environment. Of course your environment doesn't have to be picture-perfect. But it does have to match what your mind needs now. You might need more light. Less noise. A view. A different chair. A simpler space. A wilder one. The point isn't to follow my rules or anyone else's for that matter. The point is to pay attention. Your body and your brain will tell you when something's off. So if you're feeling stuck, ask yourself this: What's my current creative environment? How does it make me feel? And if the answer is anything less than energized, clear, or inspired, maybe it's time to change your space, not your self. Like this story? 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