You Want to Foster Creative Behavior? Try Behavioral Sciences Models

Abstract

Why do individuals confronted with a specific situation act creatively or not? To answer this question, the psychology of creativity needs to rely on comprehensive behavioral models allowing researchers to better identify the determinants of creative behavior and to be able to efficiently foster this behavior. Behavioral sciences precisely developed behavioral models that allow us to understand and influence a wide variety of behaviors. The present contribution argues for the use of behavioral sciences models in creativity research, and describes three main functions for creativity research: (1) a heuristic function (supporting the development of scientific knowledge about goal-directed creative behavior), (2) an interventional function (supporting the elaboration of efficient behavioral interventions to foster creative behavior), and (3) a categorization function (providing a clearer view of the types of interventions designed to foster specific creative behavior and of the behavioral drivers used).