Where was I? Distractions during information gathering

Fichtel, Mark

Where was I? Distractions during information gathering

dc.contributor.advisor	Mumford, Michael
dc.contributor.author	Fichtel, Mark
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Connelly, Shane
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Feltz, Adam
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Kosmopoulou, Georgia
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Shi, Dingjing
dc.date.accessioned	2023-04-24T21:35:20Z
dc.date.available	2023-04-24T21:35:20Z
dc.date.issued	2023
dc.date.manuscript	2023
dc.description.abstract	The literature on creativity has long held that one of the most central processes central to the success of any creative problem-solving endeavor is the gathering of information that is pertinent for task completion, most notably the key facts and anomalies that are at play in the specific creative context. However, previous findings regarding the relationship between distractors and creative performance have been mixed. We review the arguments present in the literature surrounding the potential benefits or drawbacks of distractors for creativity. We then in turn investigate, using an undergraduate sample, the effects of task-relevant or task-irrelevant distractors as well as time pressure on the information gathering process as part of an educational leadership task requiring creative problem-solving. Participants were asked to take on the role of principal at a new experimental high school. These participants were required to read through a wealth of information related to task completion and were then tasked with creating a plan to “achieve academic excellence” in their new experimental high school. Outcomes included amount of information gathered, the extent to which gathered information included key facts and/or anomalies, and the quality, originality, and elegance of final plans. Findings indicate that distractors extend information search, but do not contribute to the gathering of key facts or anomalies. Distractors also did not impact quality, originality, or elegance of creative plans. Implications of these findings for practice and future research are discussed. Keywords: creativity, distraction, information gathering, problem-solving	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://shareok.org/handle/11244/337458
dc.language	en_US	en_US
dc.subject	creativity	en_US
dc.subject	distraction	en_US
dc.subject	information gathering	en_US
dc.subject	problem-solving	en_US
dc.thesis.degree	Ph.D.	en_US
dc.title	Where was I? Distractions during information gathering	en_US
ou.group	Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences::Department of Psychology	en_US
shareok.orcid	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9200-9488	en_US