Department of Psychology Student Research

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    Conceptual constraints on creativity: A case study of an undergraduate visual artist
    (2024-04) Karras, Emma
    Constraints are often viewed as potential inhibitors on creative thinking and making. However, current research suggests that there may be enhancing impacts of constraints on creativity. The current paper presents a case study of one undergraduate mixed media artist (the author) across a series of eight artist trials where for four trials the completed artworks were conceptually constrained (that is, based on a topic specified by an external source) and four trials were unconstrained (that is, based on a topic autonomously generated by the artist). Ratings anonymously provided by peers, blinded to the research question, revealed that certain aspects of creativity tied to novelty are heightened in conceptually constrained visual arts outputs (e.g., surprise and playfulness) when compared to unconstrained, which, instead, tended to show heightened harmoniousness and other qualities. This suggests that conceptual constraints on visual artist outputs can increase peer rated creativity defined by novelty and originality
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    Predicting Posttraumatic Growth in Veterans: The Role of Coping Mechanisms and Personality
    (2017) Mattson, Elsa; Johnson, Rachel; James, Lisa; Engdahl, Brian
    It is already widely established that there are negative psychological effects following a traumatic event, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is some indication that individuals may experience posttraumatic growth (PTG) following such events. This study explores factors including coping mechanisms, PTSD symptom severity, and personality characteristics to better understand the process that facilitates growth following a trauma. The sample included 271 veterans who completed surveys measuring PTSD symptoms, trauma exposure, personality traits, and posttraumatic growth. Results showed that adaptive coping mechanisms were predictive of posttraumatic growth, and an inverted-U shaped relationship was found to best explain the relationship between PTSD symptoms and PTG. Among veterans with PTSD, those who experienced growth following trauma exposure scored higher on extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and lower on neuroticism and pessimism. In addition, all five subscales of the posttraumatic growth inventory were significantly correlated with adaptive coping mechanisms. As cognitive coping mechanisms have been suggested to be changeable, these findings have potential implications for clinical intervention.