The effects of creative success experiences and experiential learning on conceptions of creativity myths and facts in the workplace

Abstract

Clarifying the factors that shape individuals’ knowledge and conceptions of creativity myths and facts is essential for understanding creative behavior and designing effective educational methods. This study examined the main and interactive effects of creative success experiences (i.e., creative achievement in the workplace) and experiential learning on the endorsement of creativity myths and facts among 1,844 full-time employees in Japan. Results showed that while creative success experiences had only a minor association, experiential learning demonstrated a significant main effect by increasing endorsement of both creativity myths and facts. Furthermore, for creativity facts, creative success experiences tended to enhance endorsement only when accompanied by high levels of experiential learning. In contrast, success experiences occurring without opportunities for experiential learning were associated with lower endorsement of both creativity myths and facts. These findings suggest that knowledge and conceptions of creativity are formed and updated through scientific sources as well as the integration of workplace experiential learning and creative success experiences. The key to forming an accurate understanding of creativity lies not only in accumulating success but also in reframing successes and failures as opportunities for learning.