A few weeks ago, I wrote a post titled “Go Where You Haven’t Been” as part of the How to Be an Innovator Series. I won’t rehash the post here, but to summarize, it argued that new experiences gained through travel can enhance creativity and was largely based on my own experiences. However, a new study published by the American Psychology Association adds credibility to the long-held belief that time abroad increases creativity.
A Candle, a Box of Matches, and a Box of Tacks
Who’d have thought these items could help measure creativity? But the creators of this study did, asking participants to complete what is known as the Drucker Test.
In this problem, individuals are presented with three objects on a table placed next to a cardboard wall: a candle, a pack of matches and a box of tacks. The task is to attach the candle to the wall so that the candle burns properly and does not drip wax on the table or the floor. The correct solution involves using the box of tacks as a candleholder – one should empty the box of tacks and then tack it to the wall placing the candle inside.
The solution is considered a measure of creative insight because it involves the ability to see objects as performing different functions from what is typical (i.e., the box is not just for the tacks but can also be used as a stand). The results showed that the longer students had spent living abroad, the more likely they were to come up with the creative solution.
What Difference Does Travel Make?
While the Drucker Test is certainly an interesting exercise, the real value of the study was that the prominent differentiating factor among the participants’ was the time they had spent abroad and/or experiencing and adapting to other cultures. There appeared to be a direct correlation between this factor and the participants’ ability to solve the Drucker Test. Although the study does not prove a causal relationship between cretivity and travel, it does demonstrate that the skills acquired in learning to adapt to new cultures also influence creativity.
What do you think? Do a variety of cultural experiences enhance creativity? Should organizations offer and promote more study- and work-abroad programs? Please post your thoughts in the comments!
Related posts:
- Creativity vs. Design
- World Creativity and Innovation Week
- Can Creativity Change the World?
- How to Be an Innovator, Part 9: Go Where You Haven’t Been
- Vices and Creativity
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An intriguing study. I tend to agree, though I’ve been overseas only once. But I travel to my beloved mountains regularly and each time I return renewed spiritually and creatively. Same concept I think, with the same results.
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Oh, what a great study and a great post! I think it’s definitely true. My husband was in the military and we lived in South Korea and then in Italy and traveled extensively throughout Europe. I was forced to think about things in new ways because things are so *different*. Especially in Italy where I knew enough of the language to get by but wasn’t fluent–your brain has to think in completely different ways, trying to think of how you can say what you want to say using the words that you know in that language!
Thanks so much for sharing the study!
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