Exploring the Relationship between Psychoticism, Negative Affect and Creativity

Abstract This study examined the association between psychoticism and creativity, as well as whether experiences of negative emotions (Negative Affect; NA) moderate this link. Creativity was assessed with the Alternative Uses Task (AUT), the Remote Associates Test (RAT), Forward Flow and the Short Scale of Creative Self (SSCS). Psychoticism was expected to show positive associations with creativity, particularly in divergent thinking tasks. The results showed that psychoticism was positively associated with the SSCS and with Forward Flow. No consistent associations were found in divergent or convergent thinking tasks. Experiences of negative emotions did not predict creativity but strengthened the association between psychoticism and self-perceived creativity when in moderate and especially in high levels. The findings suggest that psychoticism relates more strongly to self-perceptions of creativity than to measurable creative performance and that this link is amplified under conditions of distress or negative affect. In other words, individuals high in psychoticism who also experience high levels of negative emotions are likely to view themselves as creative even if it is not reflected in their task-based performance.