Lots of interesting news in the psychological research arena these days, particularly with regard to possible links between studying abroad and creativity.
According to Sam McNerney’s article yesterday on BigThink.com on Why Traveling Abroad Makes Us More Creative (Part II) first up was a 2009 series by researchers at Northwestern University (Maddux and Galinsky) which found that students who studied abroad scored higher on tests for creativity.
As McNerney explains, experiencing different perspectives, as in the case of studying in a foreign country, opens us up to broader interpretations as to the meaning for any given thing.
Essentially, when you physically and emotionally experience cultural differences, as opposed to merely reading about them, you are changed by it. And that change seems to encourage a wider thought process including stimulating creativity.
Then came a study out of Indiana University (Jia et al.) which found that ‘psychological distance’ can boost creativity. How so?
Students were tasked with listing as many forms of transportation as possible. Those who were told the instructions came from students studying in Greece had longer lists of modes of transportation with more originality than those told the task was developed by students nearby.
Think about that: just by believing that the task directions originated in a foreign country, those students were more creative in their responses. Did they somehow feel empowered to think more broadly, coming up with wide-ranging and innovative responses?
Now the latest: a study released last month ‘On the Cognitive Benefits of Cultural Experience: Exploring the Relationship Between Studying Abroad and Creative Thinking’ by researchers (Lee, Therriault, Linderholm) at the University of Florida at Gainesville.
Students were split into three groups (had already studied abroad, were planning to study abroad or had no interest in doing so) and given a series of creative activities under the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults which measures general creativity and the Cultural Creativity Task measuring culturally specific creativity.
Not surprisingly, the group of students who had previously studied abroad scored higher on the CCT. But by also scoring higher on the ATTA, the U of FL researchers believe they have found a linkage between study abroad and increased creativity.
Now they are the first to point out that their tests don’t determine causal or correlative relationships, only that a relationship appears to exist. Further tests are needed to support their findings, especially those that do pre- and post-study abroad assessments and also controlling for factors such as length of study and location. But in general:
‘We were excited to find that students who studied abroad generated ideas that were higher in quality and more novel in both a general as well as culture-specific measure of creativity (compared to students who did not study abroad). We believe our findings have relevant implications regarding the benefits of multicultural experiences in creative thinking.’
Additional testing will also help address whether the findings to date have been causal or correlative: that is, whether study abroad increases creativity or more creative types often choose to study abroad.
McNerney extrapolates the research on studying abroad to living in a different country/culture, and by inference, traveling extensively. He speaks of gaining a ‘cultural footprint…one that will influence you to generate more creative solutions to everyday problems’. I think the same would hold true for interns working overseas as well.
Tom Jacobs joined the discussion earlier this month with his article on CreativityPost.com To Boost Creativity, Study Abroad (originally published at Pacific Standard magazine). His perspective on the study by Lee and colleagues?
If you’re looking for employees to think creatively and come up with outside-the-box or thought-provoking solutions, one consideration is whether a candidate has studied or lived abroad.
He cites the latest study’s researchers that their results suggest ‘the actual immersion in a foreign culture’ boosts one’s creativity.
‘Our findings indicate that studying abroad support cognitive processes involved in developing innovative solutions.’
My take?
It makes sense to me. I’d like to think that studying abroad in Mexico during university days opened my mind not only to a new country and culture, but also to the ideas, beliefs and ways of thinking of the people I lived with, studied under and/or encountered along the way.
I also know that before I studied overseas I already knew I wanted to live in different countries and multicultural environments someday. I was already deep into international affairs as a course of study.
Do I think it made me more creative? I hope so, just as I hope (nay, dare I believe?) that I’m far more creative now having lived as an expat in the Netherlands for several years and having traveled to dozens of countries across five continents.
I also realize that it’s hard to isolate that factor from my career change to a more creative field: writing.
Do I think creativity requires living abroad? No, of course not.
But I sure do like the odds that living across cultures helps enhance the creative mind.
The connection between creativity and studying abroad is interesting! You bring up travel at the end of your post – do you think travel unlocks the same kind of creativity? Or would it be more important to stay in one place for a while? I have both lived abroad and travelled a fair bit, and both of those experiences have taught me different things (living abroad has taught me how really I’m Dutch to my core and travelling has taught me that if I let the universe have its way things usually work out – and most people are really really nice). I couldn’t say which has made me more creative – if either!
I like your lessons from living and traveling abroad Katrijn. The studies themselves focused on study abroad. Sam McNerney gave away his view when using ‘traveling abroad’ in his article title. My personal view, as yet unbacked by any research, is that it’s probably a bit of a continuum. Travel where you observe but don’t really interface that much directly might spark a tiny linkage, more immersed travel a larger one, and so on. Similarly, travel just to tick off boxes of sites seen might be less linked than someone specifically observing and immersing themselves in a culture. Which begs another question: does a more creative person get a bigger ‘creativity boost’ than a less creative person? Those researchers better get to work!
This is really interesting Linda, thank you for sharing!
I always get creative inspiration when I travel abroad and especially when I can experience another culture’s/country’s art. For instance, when I was a little girl I was in Australia on holiday and I was taken in by the Aboriginal art and the (hi)story of Aboriginees.
As for studying abroad, I did that (albeit in my passport country – the UK – but where I hadn’t lived before) and there I was in touch with many different cultures and people from all over the world – more so than when I was at school in The Netherlands. And it’s quite possible that if I had stayed in The Netherlands to study this may not have happened…but who knows, eh?
I definitely believe that in traveling and living in different cultures/countries, we open our hearts and minds to the similarities and differences we find. Your travel and time in the UK has helped make you who you are, Carrie, a perceptive, engaging person.
As the old cliche goes ‘travel broadens the mind’. As with most cliches there’s always a grain of truth in it. It seems sensible to assume that living and studying abroad deepens that understanding further.
I think so. In addition to gaining knowledge and (hopefully) an open mind, now we can celebrate increased creativity. Never can have too much
Anything that broadens your horizons – and nothing does it better than travel in my view – is bound to encourage greater creativity. Look at us, on our little island. I feel sad for creative people sometimes as although there is always inspiration here, in a way they are very limited in their experience unless they have traveled. When they do, they always come back with new ideas.
Now that’s an intriguing twist that would make for a very interesting research project, Emma: trying to ascertain the impact in terms of effects on creativity and culture of travel/study/living abroad and returning to a (relatively) small island. No ‘slipping across the border’ for you; when you want to travel, you have to make a concerted effort!
Absolutely – you do have to make that effort. We have an expression: “Off the island.”
Our horizons are so narrow, believe me – and there is nothing like actually BEING there (yes, we have cable tv, internet etc but the experience is the thing for anyone with an ounce of creativity).
Agreed. Being in a place, soaking up the atmosphere, seeing things with your own eyes, interacting with those who call it ‘home’…priceless.