In this dissertation, two areas of creativity are reviewed. “Fixation” refers to the
inability to solve a problem or retrieve a memory due to prior experience or an
inappropriate solution path. Brainstorming is the process of generating as many possible
ideas on a topic as possible. From this synthesis, it was hypothesized that fixation
occurs in brainstorming. Three experiments tested the predictions of this theory. It was
revealed that the exchanging of ideas in a group setting leads to members exploring
fewer domains of ideas. Through a controlled setting, it was also found that people
conform their ideas to ideas suggested by others. The last experiment tested incubation
as a mechanism by which to reduce fixation in brainstorming. Findings were mixed but
show that taking breaks can be effective in increasing brainstorming efficiency.
The dissertation added several new findings to the field. Fixation was found to
occur in brainstorming. The induced fixation led to participants decreasing the novelty
of their ideas. Temporal analyses provided insight into how various measures (quantity,
variety, novelty) fluctuate over the course of a brainstorming session. Lastly, this study showed that taking a break could lead to increasing the effectiveness of a brainstorming
session.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-3057 |
| Date | 15 May 2009 |
| Creators | Kohn, Nicholas William |
| Contributors | Smith, Steven |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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