Self-regulation for creative activity: The same or different across domains?

Zielińska, A.; Forthmann, B.; Lebuda, I.; Karwowski, M

Abstract

To put creative ideas and insights into action, people need to overcome obstacles, monitor their processes, and effectively evaluate the steps they take. Across two studies (N = 832 and N = 843), we explored the structure, correlates, and cross-domain similarity and specificity of creative self-regulation. Both studies supported a seven-factor model of creative self-regulation, with different self-regulatory behaviors engaged in the phases of forethought (obstacle expectations, uncertainty acceptance), performance (adjusting approach, managing and reframing ambiguous goals, and emotion regulation), and self-reflection (improving approach and readiness for sharing). Across both studies, creative self-regulation was systematically correlated with creative self-concept and less systematically with personality. Additionally, in Study 2, creative self-regulation explained a unique portion of the variance in creative activity, achievement, and declared future engagement when personality and creative self-beliefs were controlled. A substantial similarity of self-regulation across different domains was observed in terms of the structure, difficulty, and residual variances (measurement invariance), yet some self-regulatory behaviors and strategies were more pronounced in certain domains than others. We discuss the consequences of these findings along with future research directions.