The effect of environmental cues and motivation on creative idea generation

Abstract

Previous studies have been inconsistent regarding the number of cues in the brainstorming process that have a promotive or inhibitory effect on individuals' idea generation. Further, this issue has not been examined from the perspective of individual characteristics. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the influence of environmental cues and motivation on individuals' idea generation to determine the presence of an interaction between environmental cues and motivation in this process. The sample included 156 Chinese undergraduates as participants in two parallel experiments that were designed and implemented to study the influence of the number and novelty of environmental cues on idea generation in an electronic brainstorming task. The role of motivation level as an intrinsic factor was also explored. Findings showed that the number of environmental cues significantly influenced the novelty of idea generation, which was regulated by motivation level. Additionally, the novelty of cues and motivation could significantly affect the number of ideas generated.