Quiz — Chapter 27: Creativity and Problem-Solving

25 multiple-choice questions covering creativity definition, cognitive architecture, the creative process, conditions facilitating creativity, brainstorming research, problem-solving frameworks, and building creative practice. Short-answer extensions follow the answer key.

Multiple Choice

Question 1 Which of the following best captures the standard psychological definition of creativity?

A) The ability to produce work that is highly original and unusual B) The production of something that is both novel and appropriate (useful, correct, or valuable) C) The capacity to generate large numbers of ideas quickly D) The ability to solve problems in ways no one else has attempted

Question 2 Margaret Boden's typology of creativity distinguishes three types. Which type involves generating a new idea by finding an unexplored region within an already-established conceptual space?

A) Combinational creativity B) Transformational creativity C) Exploratory creativity D) Analogical creativity

Question 3 J.P. Guilford's distinction between divergent and convergent thinking maps onto which pairing?

A) Preparation and incubation B) Generating options and selecting the best one C) Individual work and group collaboration D) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Question 4 Mental set in problem-solving refers to:

A) The tendency to fixate on the most visually salient feature of a problem B) The tendency to approach a new problem using a strategy that worked for an earlier problem C) The cognitive load required to maintain multiple candidate solutions simultaneously D) A state of heightened creative readiness produced by positive affect

Question 5 Functional fixedness is best described as:

A) The difficulty of generating ideas when working under tight time pressure B) The tendency to perceive objects only in terms of their standard or conventional function C) The cognitive process by which remote associations become consciously available D) The incubation state that precedes a creative insight

Question 6 Sarnoff Mednick's Remote Associates Test was designed to measure:

A) Divergent thinking fluency (number of ideas generated per unit time) B) The speed with which a person solves convergent analytical problems C) The ability to find a mediating concept that connects three apparently unrelated words D) Metacognitive awareness of one's own creative strategies

Question 7 Graham Wallas's four-stage model of the creative process places the stages in which order?

A) Illumination — Preparation — Incubation — Verification B) Preparation — Incubation — Illumination — Verification C) Incubation — Preparation — Illumination — Verification D) Preparation — Illumination — Incubation — Verification

Question 8 Neuroscience research on the moment of creative insight suggests it is associated with:

A) Heightened prefrontal cortex activity and reduced amygdala activation B) Complete suppression of the default mode network to allow focused analytical processing C) A sudden increase in right anterior temporal lobe activity and alpha wave bursts in the seconds before the insight reaches consciousness D) A shift from the executive control network to the salience network

Question 9 Teresa Amabile's componential theory identifies three factors necessary for creative output. Which of the following is NOT among them?

A) Domain-relevant skills B) Creativity-relevant processes (heuristics, cognitive style, willingness to take risks) C) Intrinsic task motivation D) Collaborative social relationships and team psychological safety

Question 10 Amabile's intrinsic motivation principle of creativity states that:

A) Extrinsic rewards always undermine creativity by shifting attention from the task to the reward B) People are most creative when primarily motivated by interest, enjoyment, and the satisfaction of the work itself C) Creative performance requires the complete absence of any evaluation or external feedback D) The intrinsic quality of a creative product is independent of the motivation that produced it

Question 11 Which finding about face-to-face brainstorming is most consistently replicated in experimental research?

A) Brainstorming groups produce more total ideas than the same individuals working alone B) Brainstorming groups outperform nominal groups (same individuals working alone with ideas pooled) on both quantity and quality C) Face-to-face brainstorming typically produces fewer and less original ideas than nominal group work D) The quality deficit in brainstorming is more pronounced than the quantity deficit

Question 12 "Production blocking" in brainstorming groups refers to:

A) The suppression of ideas by dominant group members B) The fact that only one person can speak at a time, preventing others from voicing ideas as they arise C) The cognitive inhibition produced by premature evaluation of early ideas D) The implicit group norm against generating impractical or socially unusual ideas

Question 13 Brainwriting improves on face-to-face brainstorming primarily because it:

A) Forces participants to systematically build on each other's ideas B) Eliminates evaluation apprehension by removing the social visibility of individual ideas during generation C) Allows simultaneous generation by all participants, eliminating production blocking D) Both B and C

Question 14 In Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats framework, which hat specifically represents critical thinking, risk identification, and problem identification?

A) Red hat B) White hat C) Black hat D) Yellow hat

Question 15 The IDEO design thinking process places its stages in which order?

A) Ideate — Empathize — Define — Prototype — Test B) Empathize — Define — Ideate — Prototype — Test C) Define — Empathize — Ideate — Test — Prototype D) Empathize — Ideate — Define — Prototype — Test

Question 16 Research on constraints and creativity has generally found that:

A) Constraints always impair creative performance by reducing the available solution space B) Moderate constraints can enhance creativity by forcing lateral movement beyond obvious or familiar approaches C) Constraints benefit novices but harm expert performance by preventing the application of established schemas D) Whether constraints help or harm depends entirely on the domain

Question 17 The SCAMPER technique is a structured ideation tool in which each letter represents:

A) A stage in a sequential creative problem-solving process B) A different category of group brainstorming format C) A type of transformation that can be applied to an existing product, process, or practice D) A diagnostic question for identifying the type of creative block being experienced

Question 18 The "How Might We...?" format used in design thinking primarily serves to:

A) Evaluate which candidate ideas are most feasible before ideation begins B) Transform a problem statement into an open generative question that expands the solution space C) Define the constraints within which ideation must operate D) Assign responsibility for different aspects of the problem to specific team members

Question 19 According to research on the incubation stage, which activity is most likely to facilitate creative insight during an incubation period?

A) Returning to and reviewing the notes made during the preparation stage B) Focused analytical work on a closely related problem C) Low-demand physical activity or other tasks that allow mind-wandering and diffuse attention D) REM sleep exclusively, to the exclusion of any other activity

Question 20 "Evaluation apprehension" in group ideation contexts refers to:

A) The anxiety experienced before presenting completed creative work for external review B) The concern about being negatively judged by others that suppresses willingness to share unconventional ideas during generation C) The cognitive load created by simultaneously generating and assessing ideas D) The tendency for groups to evaluate ideas more harshly than individuals working alone

Question 21 The "Einstellung effect" in problem-solving refers to:

A) The sudden "aha" feeling that accompanies an insight after incubation B) The tendency for a previously successful problem-solving approach to prevent discovery of a better solution C) The confusion generated by problems that have multiple plausible solutions D) The facilitating effect of mild positive affect on creative ideation

Question 22 Research on expertise and domain creativity generally finds that:

A) Deep domain knowledge is unnecessary and can actually impair creativity by producing entrenched mental set B) Expertise must be partially unlearned before genuine creative exploration becomes possible C) Deep domain knowledge is necessary for high-level creative work, even though it also creates mental set that must be managed D) Domain knowledge benefits incremental creativity but impairs transformational creativity

Question 23 Csikszentmihalyi's research on highly creative individuals found that most reported:

A) Preferring consistent solitary work and being energized by prolonged isolation B) A preference for simple, uncluttered environments to minimize cognitive distraction C) An unusual capacity to hold opposing qualities simultaneously — disciplined yet playful, imaginative yet grounded in reality D) High levels of extrinsic motivation and sensitivity to recognition and social approval

Question 24 Which of the following best describes the research on mood and creative thinking?

A) Negative mood consistently impairs creativity; positive mood consistently facilitates it B) Any strong emotion enhances creative performance by raising overall arousal C) Mild positive affect tends to broaden cognitive scope and facilitate creative thinking; intense emotion in either direction tends to narrow it D) Creative performance is essentially independent of mood because skilled creators override emotional states

Question 25 The Double Diamond model of design process describes:

A) Two phases: diverge then converge B) Four phases (discover, define, develop, deliver) with a diverge movement and a converge movement in each half of the process C) Four phases representing the four creative modes: intuitive, analytical, collaborative, and individual D) Two diamonds representing the distinction between design thinking and conventional analytical thinking

Answer Key

Short-Answer Extensions

Question 26 Explain the difference between divergent and convergent thinking, and describe why the creative process requires both — and why mixing them is problematic.

Model answer: Divergent thinking generates multiple possible ideas, directions, or solutions — expanding the option space without commitment or evaluation. Convergent thinking evaluates, selects, and refines among options — narrowing toward a solution or judgment. The creative process requires both: an expansive divergent phase in which evaluation is suspended, followed by a selective convergent phase in which ideas are assessed for novelty, appropriateness, and feasibility. Mixing the two processes is harmful in both directions: evaluating during generation suppresses unusual ideas before they can be voiced or developed (self-censorship, evaluation apprehension), while generating without ever converging produces unactionable idea lists without solutions. The practical implication of the research is that these phases should be deliberately separated — brainstorm first, evaluate later.

Question 27 Why might incubation produce creative insight? Describe at least two distinct mechanisms proposed in the research literature.

Model answer: (1) Spreading activation / unconscious processing: during incubation the mind continues processing the problem below conscious awareness, spreading activation through associative networks and surfacing connections that deliberate analytical search had not reached. The default mode network — active during mind-wandering and rest — may facilitate the broad, associative processing that generates remote connections. (2) Forgetting or weakening of set: deliberate work can entrench an unsuccessful problem-solving approach; the passage of time during incubation allows the activation of that approach to decay, making alternative framings more accessible when the person returns to the problem. (3) Opportunistic assimilation: during low-demand activities, the mind is more receptive to environmental inputs — overheard conversations, observations, random associations — that may trigger relevant connections if the problem is held in background awareness. (4) Reduction of cognitive load and fatigue: directed effort produces fatigue that impairs flexible thinking; rest restores cognitive resources that facilitate novel association.

Question 28 Amabile's research initially suggested that extrinsic motivation undermines creativity. She later qualified this with the concept of "motivational synergy." Under what conditions can extrinsic motivation be non-damaging or even facilitative to creative work?

Model answer: The undermining effect (overjustification effect) is strongest when extrinsic rewards are expected, tangible, and contingent on completion — because this makes the reward the salient reason for doing the work, reducing perceived intrinsic interest. Amabile's later position distinguishes synergistic from non-synergistic extrinsic motivators. Synergistic extrinsic motivation is informational rather than controlling — it conveys competence feedback, recognizes the value of the work, or enables further engagement without directing attention away from the task itself. When intrinsic motivation is already high and the extrinsic factor confirms rather than controls, the two may be additive rather than subtractive. The key variable is whether the extrinsic factor shifts the creator's experienced locus of causality from internal to external.