Creativity: Separating Fact from Fiction

Abstract

This study examined whether evidence-based training aimed at debunking misconceptions about creativity can enhance employees’ knowledge of how to foster creativity in a business context, and to what extent Need for Closure (NFC) plays a moderating role in this process. An experimental design was used in which participants were randomly assigned to either a training or a control group. Findings showed that the training significantly positively affects knowledge of creativity enhancement, particularly for individuals with lower baseline knowledge. Although NFC was expected to moderate the training effect, no significant interaction was found. Moreover, results showed that several misconceptions about creativity were still regularly perceived as true, indicating that misconceptions about creativity remain persistent. In addition, results revealed substantial variation between specific misconceptions, suggesting that some were easier to identify correctly than others. No support was found for the hypothesized differences between departments based on the 4P model. Practical and academic implications are discussed.