Anti-creativity bias

A study to shortly be published in the journal Psychological Science reveals that most people view creativity as an asset until they come across a creative idea. That’s because creativity not only reveals new perspectives, it promotes a sense of uncertainty. The study will reveal: Creative ideas are by definition novel, and novelty can trigger feelings of uncertainty that make most people uncomfortable; People dismiss creative ideas in favour of ideas that are purely practical; Objective evidence shoring up the validity of a creative proposal does not motivate people to accept it; Anti-creativity bias is so subtle that people are unaware of it, which can interfere with their ability to recognize a creative idea.

To quote one of the authors: “Revealing the existence and nature of a bias against creativity can help explain why people might reject creative ideas and stifle scientific advancements, even in the face of strong intentions to the contrary.”