Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology

Social threat unlocks the dark side of creativity, study finds

by Eric W. Dolan
May 19, 2019
in Social Psychology
(Photo credit: aetb)

(Photo credit: aetb)

[Follow PsyPost on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

People exhibit more malevolent creativity after facing a social threat, according to new research in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

“We all know that our capacity for creativity has brought many positive things: Examples are medication and treatment for diseases, beautiful art, and technology that allows us to live our lives to the fullest,” said study author Matthijs Baas of the University of Amsterdam.

“However, our capacity for creativity has also been applied for much darker uses. Think of the invention of torture practices, new ways to bully others, original ways to commit and conceal fraud. I wanted to know more about what factors drive this much darker side of creativity.”

The researchers used prisoner’s dilemma games to induce a sense of social threat in their study of 192 college students.

In the dilemma, if both players cooperate, they both receive a payoff. But if one cooperates and the other does not, the cooperating player receives the smallest possible payoff, while the defecting player receives the largest.

The researchers manipulated the level of social threat. Participants in the high threat condition could lose a substantial amount of money if the other player defected, while those in the low threat condition could lose only a small amount.

Baas and his colleagues found that participants in the high threat condition tended to come up with more malevolent ideas on how to use a brick than neutral ideas. Similarly, those in the high threat condition tended to come up with more aggressive negotiation tactics.

“When people are threatened by others, they are more motivated to defend themselves and aggress — and they think of more malevolent ideas as a result. So social threat seems to be one factor that is involved in malevolent creativity,” he told PsyPost.

“Our findings are based on simple creativity tasks. Participants thought of novel brick uses and negotiation tactics in a laboratory setting. These brick uses and negotiations tactics were more aggressive under social threat,” Baas added.

“Although this interesting finding sheds some light on the emergence of malevolent creativity, it is a big leap to malevolent creativity in the real world. Surely other factors and processes exist that determine whether someone comes up with, say, a novel terrorist attack (let alone putting this malevolent idea to practice).”

The study, “Why Social Threat Motivates Malevolent Creativity“, was authored by Matthijs Baas, Marieke Roskes, Severine Koch, Yujie Cheng, and Carsten K. W. De Dreu.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePin1Send
Previous Post

Mindful airline pilots are involved in fewer potentially hazardous aviation incidents

Next Post

More intelligent individuals are more likely to enjoy instrumental music, study finds

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

Scientists raise concerns about the potential link between chronic microdosing of psychedelics and valvular heart disease

Anxiously attached individuals have stronger cortisol reactivity when anticipating a conflict with a partner

Study suggests lack of positive feelings during social interactions could help explain isolation in people with suicidality

New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

Interesting link between self-alienation and death anxiety uncovered by new psychology research

Genetics and concussion – why a minor knock can be devastating for some people

RECENT

New study shines a light on men’s unconscious attraction to fertility cues in women’s faces

Genetics and concussion – why a minor knock can be devastating for some people

Interesting link between self-alienation and death anxiety uncovered by new psychology research

Lifestyle pages on Facebook are a significant contributor to the spread of fake news, study finds

Shy teens with shy best friends might be more prone to depression, study finds

Single-session exposure therapy: A game-changer for phobia treatment?

Scientists raise concerns about the potential link between chronic microdosing of psychedelics and valvular heart disease

Anxiously attached individuals have stronger cortisol reactivity when anticipating a conflict with a partner

Currently Playing

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Body Image and Body Dysmorphia
New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

Narcissism
Unintended pregnancies take a toll on the mental health of new fathers

Unintended pregnancies take a toll on the mental health of new fathers

Mental Health
New study provides insight into the psychological core of dark personality traits

Four distinct trajectories of psychopathic traits identified among youth in the legal system

Psychopathy
Social working memory abnormalities may be a neurocognitive mechanism underlying poorer social connection in PTSD

Exposure to wood smoke leads to complex and long-lasting neuroinflammatory and neurometabolomic alterations

Mental Health
People who were better supervised by parents as early adolescents tend to have higher earnings as adults

People who were better supervised by parents as early adolescents tend to have higher earnings as adults

Business
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist