Models and Creativity

In order to determine whether exposure to a symbolic model could affect creative behavior, 130 male and female college students were randomly exposed to a prolific divergent thinking model, a prolific convergent thinking model, an inadequate convergent thinking model or no model on an unusual uses task. On identical, similar, and generalization tasks, Ss exposed to either convergent model tended to show more convergent responses and fewer divergent responses than those exposed to a divergent thinking model. On 4 of the 9 measures females had significantly higher scores than males, but there were no significant sex by treatment interactions.