The Effect And The Mechanism Of Counter-Stereotype On Creativity

In the era of popular innovation, how to enhance the individual’s creativity for the promotion of economic and social development and individual self-worth have important strategic significance. The promotion of creativity is also a hot topic of psychology. Main factors affecting creativity are emotional factors, cognitive factors. Some scholars from the point of view of social cognition found that counter-stereotype has a positive effect on individual’s creative performance. The psychological mechanism of such positive effect is unclear, but the counter-stereotype and individual emotions, cognitive flexibility are closely related. Based on previous studies,this study suggests that emotional-cognitive dual-path model,that is,counter-stereotype promotes the individual’s creative performance by triggering individ ual surprises,joyful emotions,and enhancing the individual’s cognitive flexibility.In order to explore the relationship between counter-stereotype, emotional and cog,nitive flexibility, we designed three studies. The study 1 explores whether the counter-stereotype has a positive effect on the creativity of the individual. The study 2 and the study 3A explores the mediating role of cognition and emotion in the process of counter-stereotype influence of creativity. The study 3B explores the regulatory role of relevance in the process of .counter-stereotype influence of creativity.Study 1A uses two factor design between subjects target gender and stereotype, which are independent variables, and the performance of the poster design test are dependent variables. Study 1A used impression formation task to examine whether participants’ performance is better when they are exposed to counter-stereotype information compared to stereotype information. Results showed that counter-stereotype information could improve individual performance. The same experimental design was used to study 1B the creativity of the individual with the idiom puzzle paradigm. The results also show that the counter-stereotype can enhance the creativity of the individual.Study 2 uses two factor design between subjects target gender and stereotype,which are independent variables, and the performance of the idiom puzzle test are dependent variables Study 2 changed the way of manipulation of independent variable. Results showed that emotional factors do not play a mediating role.Study 3A uses two factor design between subjects target gender and stereotype, which are independent variables, and the performance of the idiom puzzle test are dependent variables The experimental procedure for studying the 3A is the same as that of the study2. In addition, the questionnaire is used to measure the in dividual’s cognitive flexibility. The result shows the cognitive flexibility plays the role of full mediation between counter-stereotype and creativity.Study 3B mainly discussed whether all kinds of counter-stereotype information can have a positive effect on creativity. Study 3B uses two factor design betwe en subjects, the relevance of creativity and stereotype, which are independent varn ables, and the performance of the poster design test are dependent variables. The experimental procedure for studying the 3B is the same as that of the study 1. The interaction between the relevance of creativity and stereptypes is significant. Results showed that positive effect only exists when counter-stereotype information and creativity are irrelevant.The conclusions are as follows: (a) counter-stereotype information can improve one’s creativity. (b) Only when counter-stereotype information and creativity are irrelevant do positive effects exist. (c) The effect of counter-stereotype on creativity was mediated by cognitive flexibility. (d) Emotion has no effect between counter-stereotype and creativity.