Date of Award

6-2022

Document Type

Union College Only

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

George Bizer

Keywords

Creativity, Hypomania, Divergent Thinking, Convergent Thinking, Insight, Problem-solving, Bipolar Disorder, Creative Cognition, Artistic Creativity, Scientific Creativity

Abstract

KOTHARI DHEA The correlation between hypomania, creative potential and type of major in undergraduate students. Department of Psychology, June 2022.

ADVISOR: George Bizer

There is an extensive amount of research that has examined the positive relationship between creativity and hypomania in terms of creative accomplishments, eminence, behaviors, occupations. Previous research had recruited participants based on creative occupations or stages of hypomania or bipolar disorder. This thesis focused on the relationship between hypomania and creative cognitive potential, such as divergent thinking and insight problem-solving. This was examined at an undergraduate educational level by recruiting students majoring in art, majoring in natural sciences (NSCI) and those double-majoring in arts and NSCI. Participants were given a modified Alternate Uses Task (AUT) to measure divergent thinking and a set of rebus puzzles to measure insight problem-solving. Both tasks involved a level of overcoming functional fixedness. A negative association was observed between hypomania and originality of responses on the AUT when an object with low functional fixedness was given to all participants. On the other hand, a positive association was found between hypomania and originality of responses on the AUT when an object with high functional fixedness was given to the participants majoring in NSCI. Therefore, the research suggests that an increased ability to overcome functional fixedness might be central to individuals with hypomania and individuals with higher creative cognitive potential.

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.