Play and Scientific Creativity: A Critical Review and an Integrative Theoretical Framework.
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| Title: | Play and Scientific Creativity: A Critical Review and an Integrative Theoretical Framework. |
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| Authors: | Shen, Xiangyou1 (AUTHOR) sharon.shen@oregonstate.edu |
| Source: | Journal of Creative Behavior. Dec2023, Vol. 57 Issue 4, p503-515. 13p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Creative ability, Creative ability in science, Research & development, Empirical research |
| Abstract: | Emerging empirical evidence supports play's potential to stimulate and foster scientific creativity. Focusing on how play relates to scientific creativity in adulthood, this review synthesizes the current state of knowledge in four areas: the play element in scientific research, the playfulness of scientists, mechanisms through which play affects scientific creativity, and environmental factors key to the play‐to‐create process in scientists' work. The review highlights several limitations hindering further research development in this area. Specifically, existing studies: (a) are largely qualitative and focus on descriptive analysis of the forms and/or select aspects of play, (b) do not sufficiently consider the unique characteristics and processes of scientific research, and (c) decontextualize the creative process by separating the player‐creator from the environment. Building on this analysis, the author clarifies the conceptualization of play, playfulness, and scientific creativity, differentiates between creative and recreative play in relation to core scientific activities, and identifies useful conceptual and measurement tools to facilitate future domain‐specific empirical studies of play and scientific creativity. Collectively, these insights advance a new integrative theoretical framework—the play‐to‐create model—to encourage and guide systematic and contextualized investigations of how play, playfulness, creative processes, and the environment interact to generate creative scientific outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Creative Behavior is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Emerging empirical evidence supports play's potential to stimulate and foster scientific creativity. Focusing on how play relates to scientific creativity in adulthood, this review synthesizes the current state of knowledge in four areas: the play element in scientific research, the playfulness of scientists, mechanisms through which play affects scientific creativity, and environmental factors key to the play‐to‐create process in scientists' work. The review highlights several limitations hindering further research development in this area. Specifically, existing studies: (a) are largely qualitative and focus on descriptive analysis of the forms and/or select aspects of play, (b) do not sufficiently consider the unique characteristics and processes of scientific research, and (c) decontextualize the creative process by separating the player‐creator from the environment. Building on this analysis, the author clarifies the conceptualization of play, playfulness, and scientific creativity, differentiates between creative and recreative play in relation to core scientific activities, and identifies useful conceptual and measurement tools to facilitate future domain‐specific empirical studies of play and scientific creativity. Collectively, these insights advance a new integrative theoretical framework—the play‐to‐create model—to encourage and guide systematic and contextualized investigations of how play, playfulness, creative processes, and the environment interact to generate creative scientific outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00220175 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jocb.596 |
