Volume 21, September 2016, Pages 31–40
Highlights
- •
- Cross-cultural differences in creative mindsets were examined.
- •
- Polish students perceived creativity in a more fixed manner than German students.
- •
- Vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism mediated cross-country differences in mindsets.
Abstract
This
study provides the first examination of cross-national differences in
the creative mindsets, measured by the Creative Mindset Scale (Karwowski, 2014)
and provides an explanation for these differences in terms of vertical
and horizontal individualism and collectivism, measured by the Cultural
Orientation Scale (Triandis & Gelfland, 1998). Polish students (n = 429) perceived creativity as more fixed and less malleable than German students (n = 332).
Drawing on previous theorizing that individualism is related to higher
intensity of fixed theories, while collectivism is positively related
rather to growth-type mindset, we hypothesized that cross-national
differences in horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism
were able to explain the relationship between country and both mindsets.
This hypothesis was confirmed—vertical and horizontal individualism and
collectivism fully mediated the differences between countries in the
growth versus fixed mindset preferences. The findings were discussed in
relation to the creativity and cross-cultural research.
Keywords
- Creative mindset;
- Fixed and growth mindset;
- Individualism;
- Collectivism;
- Poland;
- Germany
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
