Forgetting as a Consequence and Enabler of Creative Thinking
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| Title: | Forgetting as a Consequence and Enabler of Creative Thinking |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Storm, Benjamin C., Patel, Trisha N. |
| Source: | Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Nov 2014 40(6):1594-1609. |
| Availability: | American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2014 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Memory, Creative Thinking, Creativity, Cues, Recall (Psychology), Inhibition, Problem Solving, Undergraduate Students, Training, Novelty (Stimulus Dimension), Psychology |
| Geographic Terms: | California |
| DOI: | 10.1037/xlm0000006 |
| ISSN: | 0278-7393 |
| Abstract: | Four experiments examined the interplay of memory and creative cognition, showing that attempting to think of new uses for an object can cause the forgetting of old uses. Specifically, using an adapted version of the Alternative Uses Task (Guilford, 1957), participants studied several uses for a variety of common household objects before attempting to generate new uses for half of those objects. As revealed by performance on a final cued-recall task, attempting to generate new uses caused participants to forget the studied uses. This thinking-induced forgetting effect was observed regardless of whether participants attempted to generate unusual uses or common uses, but failed to emerge when participants used the studied uses as hints to guide their generation of new uses. Additionally, the forgetting effect correlated with individual differences in creativity such that participants who exhibited more forgetting generated more creative uses than participants who exhibited less forgetting. These findings indicate that thinking can cause forgetting and that such forgetting may contribute to the ability to think creatively. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 133 |
| Entry Date: | 2015 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1049521 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Four experiments examined the interplay of memory and creative cognition, showing that attempting to think of new uses for an object can cause the forgetting of old uses. Specifically, using an adapted version of the Alternative Uses Task (Guilford, 1957), participants studied several uses for a variety of common household objects before attempting to generate new uses for half of those objects. As revealed by performance on a final cued-recall task, attempting to generate new uses caused participants to forget the studied uses. This thinking-induced forgetting effect was observed regardless of whether participants attempted to generate unusual uses or common uses, but failed to emerge when participants used the studied uses as hints to guide their generation of new uses. Additionally, the forgetting effect correlated with individual differences in creativity such that participants who exhibited more forgetting generated more creative uses than participants who exhibited less forgetting. These findings indicate that thinking can cause forgetting and that such forgetting may contribute to the ability to think creatively. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0278-7393 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/xlm0000006 |
