Poetic Break: Incubation for Associative Creativity.
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| Title: | Poetic Break: Incubation for Associative Creativity. |
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| Authors: | Chaudhuri, Soma (AUTHOR), Bhattacharya, Joydeep (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Creativity Research Journal. Apr-Jun2026, Vol. 38 Issue 2, p451-464. 14p. |
| Subjects: | Poetry (Literary form), Mind-wandering, Creative thinking, Divergent thinking |
| Abstract: | Creative thinking often improves during incubation, a phase where attention shifts away from the problem, generally involving mind-wandering. This study examined whether reading poetry could be an effective incubator for creative ideation. A total of 153 participants were randomly assigned to one of the three incubation conditions: reading a poem (reading), reading and rating the poem (rating), and reading non-poetic text (control). Creativity was assessed using Forward Flow (FF) for associative thinking and the Alternate Uses Task (AUT) for divergent thinking, both pre- and post-incubation. Participants reported their levels of mind-wandering during incubation and also completed a questionnaire assessing their daydreaming trait. Results showed that high mind-wandering in the reading condition significantly boosted associative thinking, while low mind-wandering decreased it. In contrast, associative thinking increased in the other conditions regardless of mind-wandering levels. No significant effects were observed on divergent thinking in any condition, and daydreaming traits did not influence the results. These findings suggest that poetry reading during incubation may effectively enhance free-flowing associative thought but does not necessarily stimulate the generation of entirely novel ideas. Plain Language Summary: Taking a break and letting your mind wander – known as incubation – can boost creativity. This study explored whether reading poetry during a break could enhance creative thinking. A total of 153 participants were assigned to one of three tasks: reading a poem, reading and rating a poem, or reading a non-poetic text. Creativity was measured before and after, and participants reported their levels of mind-wandering during the tasks in the break. Poetry readers who experienced high levels of mind-wandering showed the greatest improvement in associative thinking (free-flowing ideas). However, no task improved divergent thinking (coming up with entirely new ideas). This study suggests that poetry reading can encourage associative creativity but may not spark entirely new ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Creative thinking often improves during incubation, a phase where attention shifts away from the problem, generally involving mind-wandering. This study examined whether reading poetry could be an effective incubator for creative ideation. A total of 153 participants were randomly assigned to one of the three incubation conditions: reading a poem (reading), reading and rating the poem (rating), and reading non-poetic text (control). Creativity was assessed using Forward Flow (FF) for associative thinking and the Alternate Uses Task (AUT) for divergent thinking, both pre- and post-incubation. Participants reported their levels of mind-wandering during incubation and also completed a questionnaire assessing their daydreaming trait. Results showed that high mind-wandering in the reading condition significantly boosted associative thinking, while low mind-wandering decreased it. In contrast, associative thinking increased in the other conditions regardless of mind-wandering levels. No significant effects were observed on divergent thinking in any condition, and daydreaming traits did not influence the results. These findings suggest that poetry reading during incubation may effectively enhance free-flowing associative thought but does not necessarily stimulate the generation of entirely novel ideas. Plain Language Summary: Taking a break and letting your mind wander – known as incubation – can boost creativity. This study explored whether reading poetry during a break could enhance creative thinking. A total of 153 participants were assigned to one of three tasks: reading a poem, reading and rating a poem, or reading a non-poetic text. Creativity was measured before and after, and participants reported their levels of mind-wandering during the tasks in the break. Poetry readers who experienced high levels of mind-wandering showed the greatest improvement in associative thinking (free-flowing ideas). However, no task improved divergent thinking (coming up with entirely new ideas). This study suggests that poetry reading can encourage associative creativity but may not spark entirely new ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10400419 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10400419.2025.2466571 |
