In the World or in the Head: External and Internal Implicit Theories of Creativity

This research is an initial step to bringing existing research on cultural differences in attribution and holism to the study of implicit theories of creativity. Two studies examined the tendency to consider creativity to be prototypically expressed internally via reflection and internal states versus expressed externally via interaction and products. Study 1 had Caucasian American, Asian American, and Japanese undergraduates list activities and traits they associated with creative groups and individuals. In Study 2, Japanese, Chinese, Caucasian Americans, and Asian Americans chose specific professions as more creative using a paired forced-choice method. In both studies, East Asians had a greater propensity to choose external traits, activities, and professions as creative, whereas Caucasian Americans and to a lesser degree, Asian Americans showed a preference for internal items. The implications of cross-cultural differences in implicit theories of creativity are discussed.