Creative Outcome as Implausible Utility
Abstract
Two perspectives are used to reframe Simonton’s recent three-factor definition of creative outcome. The first perspective is functional: that creative ideas are those that add significantly to knowledge by providing both utility and learning. The second perspective is calculational: that learning can be estimated by the change in probabilistic beliefs about an idea’s utility before and after it has played out in its environment. The results of the reframing are proposed conceptual and mathematical definitions of (a) creative outcome as the product of two overarching factors (utility and learning) and (b) learning as a function of two subsidiary factors (blindness reduction and surprise). Learning will be shown to depend much more strongly on surprise than on blindness reduction, so creative outcome may then also be defined as “implausible utility.”
- Authors:
-
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1543062
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1574811
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-20195800J
Journal ID: ISSN 1089-2680
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Review of General Psychology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Review of General Psychology Journal Volume: 23 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1089-2680
- Publisher:
- SAGE Publications
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; creativity; utility; learning; blindness; surprise; implausibility
Citation Formats
Tsao, J. Y., Ting, C. L., and Johnson, C. M. Creative Outcome as Implausible Utility. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1177/1089268019857929.
Tsao, J. Y., Ting, C. L., & Johnson, C. M. Creative Outcome as Implausible Utility. United States. doi:10.1177/1089268019857929.
Tsao, J. Y., Ting, C. L., and Johnson, C. M. Wed .
"Creative Outcome as Implausible Utility". United States. doi:10.1177/1089268019857929.
@article{osti_1543062,
title = {Creative Outcome as Implausible Utility},
author = {Tsao, J. Y. and Ting, C. L. and Johnson, C. M.},
abstractNote = {Two perspectives are used to reframe Simonton’s recent three-factor definition of creative outcome. The first perspective is functional: that creative ideas are those that add significantly to knowledge by providing both utility and learning. The second perspective is calculational: that learning can be estimated by the change in probabilistic beliefs about an idea’s utility before and after it has played out in its environment. The results of the reframing are proposed conceptual and mathematical definitions of (a) creative outcome as the product of two overarching factors (utility and learning) and (b) learning as a function of two subsidiary factors (blindness reduction and surprise). Learning will be shown to depend much more strongly on surprise than on blindness reduction, so creative outcome may then also be defined as “implausible utility.”},
doi = {10.1177/1089268019857929},
journal = {Review of General Psychology},
number = 3,
volume = 23,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {7}
}
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DOI: 10.1177/1089268019857929
DOI: 10.1177/1089268019857929
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