Depressive Anhedonia and Creative Self-concepts, Behaviors, and Achievements

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Thomas R. Kwapil, Associate Professor (Creator)
Kari Eddington (Contributor)
Paul Silvia, Professor (Contributor)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: In the large literature on creativity and mental illness, relatively few studies have explored anhedonia—impairments in anticipating, seeking, and experiencing rewards. This project explored self-reported creativity in a sample of adults who differed in depressive anhedonia, determined via face-to-face structured clinical interviews. Participants completed measures of everyday creativity (engaging in common creative behaviors and hobbies), creative self-concepts (creative self-efficacy, creative personal identity, and self-rated creativity in different domains), and creative achievements. Compared to the control group (n=52), people in the anhedonia group (n=22) had significantly higher engagement in little-c creative activities (medium effect size). Effect sizes for self-rated creativity and creative achievement were either small or near-zero. Taken together, the findings suggest that anhedonia deserves more attention in future research on motivational aspects of creativity.

Additional Information

Publication
Journal of Creative Behavior, 55(2)
Language: English
Date: 2020
Keywords
anhedonia, depression, creativity, creative identity, creative self-efficacy, creative achievement

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