CREATIVE PLACES:CREATIVE PLACES:

Janetta Mitchell McCoy

Debarati Majumdar Narayan

Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

IAPS 2004IAPS 2004

Vienna, AustriaVienna, Austria

Articulating the Pleasure-Arousal Articulating the Pleasure-Arousal HypothesisHypothesis

Creative Team PlacesCreative Team Places

Highly Creative Teams

Control = govern workspace with own rules

Meaning = display evidence of previous creativity

Opportunity = task support

McCoy, 2000; 2004

Question

Is there a relationship between affective appraisal of a place and the extent to which that place supports or hinders creativity?

Three phases

Unusual Uses of a Brick Test

Affective appraisal of places

Collage-making Majumdar Narayan, 2004

Creative Learning EnvironmentsCreative Learning Environments

Findings

Places rated pleasant – increase in creativity score

Places rated unpleasant – decrease in creativity score

Majumdar Narayan, 2004

Creative Learning EnvironmentsCreative Learning Environments

The QuestionsThe Questions

Where do you PREFERPREFER to go to reach your highest level of creative thinking?

Where do you AVOID AVOID going if you need to reach your highest level of creative thinking?

The Sample - SupportThe Sample - Support

Age Number

Under 17 46

18-27 412

28-37 30

38-47 17

48-57 5

58-67 2

68 & above 2

Total 514

Gender Number

Male 35

Female 108

Total 143

Major Number

CAED 391

Researchers 16

Designers 85

Non-designers 48

Total 540

The Sample - BarrierThe Sample - Barrier

Age Number

Under 17 0

18-27 86

28-37 29

38-47 17

48-57 5

58-67 1

68 & above 2

Total 140

Gender Number

Male 35

Female 108

Total 143

Major Number

CAED 66

Researchers 19

Designers 58

Non-designers 2

Total 145

Russell – Lanius ModelRussell – Lanius Model

Three-dimensional ModelThree-dimensional Model

Unpleasant

Pleasant

Not Arousing

Arousing

High Dominance

Low Dominance

AnalysisAnalysis

HD

LD

LD

HD

LD

HD

LD

HD

PleasantUnpleasant

Not Arousing

Arousing

Statistical FindingsStatistical Findings

Age and Place N = 411 Chi-square = 12.44, df=6

Cramer's V=.17, p=.05

Gender and Place N = 121 Chi-square = 0.66, df=1

Cramer's V=.07, NS

Major and Place N = 435 Chi-square = 4.77, df=3

Cramer's V=.11, NS

SupportSupport

Age and Place N = 105 Chi-square = 2.75, df=6

Cramer's V=.16, NS

Gender and Place N = 108 Chi-square = 0.10, df=1

Cramer's V=.03, NS

Major and Place N = 109 Chi-square = 3.05, df=3

Cramer's V=.17, NS

BarrierBarrier

Place and AgePlace and Age

Place and Age - Barriers

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

HDAP HDNAP HDNAUP HDAUP LDAP LDNAP LDNAUP LDAUP

Place

Per

cen

tag

e

under 17

18-27

28-37

38-47

48-57

58-67

68 &above

Place and Age - Support

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

HDAP HDNAP HDNAUP HDAUP LDAP LDNAP LDNAUP LDAUP

Place

Per

cen

tag

e

under 17

18-27

28-37

38-47

48-57

58-67

68 &above

Support Barrier

Place and GenderPlace and Gender

Place and Gender - Support

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

HDAP HDNAP HDNAUP HDAUP LDAP LDNAP LDNAUP LDAUP

Place

Per

cen

tag

e

Male

Female

Place and Gender - Barriers

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

HDAP HDNAP HDNAUP HDAUP LDAP LDNAP LDNAUP LDAUP

Place

Per

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tag

e

Male

Female

BarrierSupport

Place and MajorPlace and Major

Place and Major - Support

0

10

20

30

40

50

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80

90

100

HDAP HDNAP HDNAUP HDAUP LDAP LDNAP LDNAUP LDAUP

Place

Per

cen

tag

e CAED

RES

DES

NON

Place and Major - Barriers

0

10

20

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HDAP HDNAP HDNAUP HDAUP LDAP LDNAP LDNAUP LDAUP

Place

Per

cen

tag

e CAED

RES

DES

NON

BarrierSupport

PlacesPlaces

“I’m least likely to be creative in a static environment, like a classroom that is always the same….” (F, 19, Interior Design)

“A semi-covered area looking over a garden or a water body with a chair and a table”. (M, 28, Building Design)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Not-arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Arousing, Unpleasant

PlacesPlaces

“I definitely cannot go to the mall or shopping centers if I need to be creative”. (F, 27, Design Practitioner)

“When my environment creates an emotion or feeling in me”. (M, 34, Interior Design)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Not-arousing, Unpleasant

PlacesPlaces

“In my office….any time”. (M, 57, Design Practitioner)

“Usually in transition from one place to another where I can think both subconsciously and consciously – walking from place to place”. (F, 30, Researcher)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Not-arousing, Unpleasant

PlacesPlaces

“When I’m indulging myself with some good food”. (F, 21, Interior Design)

“In my car, parked at the beach with the windows down so I can hear the waves, feel the breeze and smell the ocean”. (F, 47, Non-Designer)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Not-arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Arousing, Pleasant

PlacesPlaces

“At lunch with Mom”. (F, 40, Researcher)

“Sitting with one or a small group of people, somewhere comfortable, discussing the topic in question and bouncing ideas back and forth…”. (F, 20, Architecture)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Not-arousing, unpleasant

PlacesPlaces

“Alone in a library with no ventilation under fluorescent lights and uncomfortable seating/table”. (M, 36, Design Practitioner)

“Coffee shop – lots of people; natural light; seats; large tables; plants; not alone; soft music; creative/ enthusiastic people...uncontrolled”. (M, 32, Design Practitioner)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Arousing, Unpleasant

PlacesPlaces

“On the street; noisy; traffic jam…” (F, 25, Design Practitioner)

“On the ‘John’”. (M, 58, Researcher)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Not-arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Not-arousing, unpleasant

PlacesPlaces

“On an escalator, going down” (F, 47, Design Practitioner)

“Alone, usually riding my horse”. (F, 18, Non-designer)

SupportSupport BarrierBarrier

High dominance, Arousing, Pleasant Low dominance, Arousing, Unpleasant

ConclusionsConclusions

CreativeCreative places are:

Highly pleasant

Moderately arousing

Affords high dominance

UncreativeUncreative places are:

Unpleasant

Non-arousing or too arousing

Affords low dominance