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Yale researchers present: Psychology, creativity, & emotional intelligence

May 22, 2024

Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence researchers present at the 2024 APA Division 10 Conference Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Researchers Present at the 2024 APA Division 10 Conference

Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence researchers, Drs. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, Jessica Hoffmann, and Yifei Pei presented their work at the 2024 American Psychological Association Division 10: Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts conference. The event, held from March 14-16, 2024, in Denton, Texas, marked Division 10’s inaugural annual research conference, with next year's conference scheduled for New Haven, CT, on March 13-15, 2025.

Dr. Hoffmann led an interactive community/field research workshop titled, "Make it easy for them to say yes: Guidance on conducting creativity research in the field." Her workshop provided attendees with evidence-based strategies for navigating community partnerships, local politics, and working with minors in their creativity research. Dr. Hoffmann's insights into creating win-win dynamics, setting up timeline projects for success, and anticipating roadblocks equipped attendees with practical resources to advance their own creativity field research programs. Additionally, Dr. Hoffmann served as one of the 2024 APA Division 10 conference organizers.

Dr. Ivcevic Pringle’s presentation, "Self-Regulation of Creative Action: Toward a Nomological Network," explored the complex dynamics of managing one’s actions and emotions in the pursuit of creative endeavors. Unlike more defined goals such as sticking to an exercise plan, creative goals are often ambiguous and require different forms of self-regulation. Dr. Ivcevic Pringle discussed how traits like curiosity and emotional intelligence play key roles in navigating the creative process, offering a framework that balances broad and specific aspects of self-regulation in creativity research.

Yifei Pei's presentation, "How Are You Curious? Types of Curiosity and Creativity," explored the multidimensional nature of curiosity across five dimensions—joyful exploration, deprivation sensitivity, stress tolerance, social curiosity, and thrill-seeking—and their impact on creativity. Across three studies with over 1,300 participants, Pei identifies four curiosity profiles and their correlation with creative achievement, offering insights into the emotional dynamics of creativity and its relationship with self-regulation. Drs. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle and Shengjie Lin contributed as non-presenting authors to Pei's presentation.

Dr. Ivcevic Pringle and Yifei Pei's presentations were part of a larger symposium entitled "Bridging Self-Perceptions and Self-Regulation in Creativity," which explored the connection between how individuals perceive themselves creatively and how they regulate their actions in creative pursuits.

From practical guidance on conducting creativity field research within communities to presenting research findings, their collective contributions to the 2024 APA Division 10 conference demonstrate a commitment to advancing knowledge at the intersection of psychology, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

Submitted by Megan Happ on May 23, 2024