Traditional perspectives often portray creativity as primarily an individualistic and agentic effort. However, recent research suggests that both agentic and communal mechanisms play vital roles in creative expression, and these roles may vary by gender.
A study led by Kris Byron, a professor of management at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, and published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, delves into the complexities of gender and creativity, drawing on social role theory to understand how risk-taking and empathy influence creative outcomes.
The research analyzed the behavioral tendencies of men and women that lead to creativity. By examining the behaviors that men and women typically adopt, they uncovered what men and women might do differently to explain gender differences in creativity.
Agentic and Communal Pathways to Creativity
Social role theory posits that social expectations and norms shape individuals’ behaviors. In the context of creativity, agentic and communal mechanisms offer distinct pathways.
- Agentic Mechanisms: These involve behaviors associated with independence, mastery, and assertiveness. Risk-taking, a hallmark of agentic behavior, can be a catalyst for creative exploration.
- Communal Mechanisms: These involve behaviors related to interdependence, cooperation, and empathy. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, can foster creative solutions that resonate with diverse perspectives.
Gender and Creativity: A Balanced Perspective
A meta-analysis of 753 independent samples (265,762 individuals) provides empirical support for both agentic and communal pathways to creativity, suggesting that both men and women can be creative in unique ways.
- Agentic Pathway: Men tend to exhibit higher levels of risk-taking, which can lead to innovative and unconventional approaches to problem-solving.
- Communal Pathway: Women tend to demonstrate higher empathetic tendencies, which can enable them to generate creative solutions that are sensitive to the needs and experiences of others.
Unfortunately, people often overvalue the novelty of creative ideas and underestimate their utility. Nonetheless, creative ideas must be both novel and practically significant.
Contextual Moderators: Enhancing the Communal Pathway
While both pathways contribute to creativity, contextual factors can influence the strength of the communal mechanism.
- Explicit Incorporation of Utility: When creativity assessments emphasize the practical value or utility of ideas, the communal pathway becomes more pronounced. This suggests that women’s empathetic tendencies are particularly effective in generating creative solutions that address real-world needs.
- Task Demands for Perspective-Taking: Contrary to expectations, our findings did not reveal a moderating effect of task demands for perspective-taking on the communal pathway. This indicates that women’s empathetic tendencies may enhance creativity across a variety of tasks, regardless of their perspective-taking requirements.
Implications for Theory and Practice
The research offers a more balanced understanding of the relationship between gender and creativity, highlighting the unique contributions of both communal and agentic mechanisms. It also provides insights into how organizations can foster a more gender-equitable workplace:
- Valuing Diverse Perspectives: Recognize that creativity can manifest in various ways and promote a culture that values both communal and agentic approaches.
- Leveraging Empathy: Create opportunities for individuals to develop and apply their empathetic skills, particularly in tasks that require understanding and addressing the needs of others.
- Evaluating Creativity Holistically: Utilize creativity assessments that consider both the novelty and utility of ideas to ensure that both communal and agentic contributions are recognized.
By understanding the interaction between gender, creativity, and context, we can create environments that support and celebrate the diverse ways individuals can contribute to innovation and problem-solving.
Conclusion
The findings by Byron and his co-authors suggest that women and men offer unique contributions to workplace creativity, but women’s contributions are often overlooked when people fail to fully consider the utility of creative ideas.
These findings also indicate that women may not be less creative than men, but rather that each gender has its own ways of being creative.
Reference
Kim, J. (J.), Vaulont, M. J., Zhang, Z., & Byron, K. (2024). Looking inside the black box of gender differences in creativity: A dual-process model and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001205
