Cruelty Incentives in Creative Work

Author:

Cannata, Bianca

Area of Honors:

Psychology

Degree:

Bachelor of Science

Document Type:

Thesis

Thesis Supervisors:

Susan Mohammed, Thesis Supervisor
Susan Mohammed, Thesis Honors Advisor
Brian Crosby, Faculty Reader

Keywords:

productivity
creativity
affect
self-competence
justice
affective events theory
self-determination theory
organizational justice theory

Abstract:

In any organizational setting, productivity is a crucial characteristic. When thinking of what constitutes productivity, components such as creativity and innovation may come to mind. While high levels of these elements are desired, the act of maintaining them may often be complicated by the natural uncertainties of a workplace environment. However, an in-depth understanding of balancing these pieces is crucial in expanding research on organizational psychology as a whole. The research presented in this thesis was conducted in order to understand what happens when an idea that is perceived as creative by someone is rejected. The reactionary response of the person whose idea was rejected and viewing how they attempted to redeem themselves and/or re-balance the equity of the situation was also of particular interest. The results show that receiving negative feedback can have adverse impacts on evaluations of idea novelty and usefulness. Overall, negative feedback is important to consider when administering feedback, although additional research must be conducted to determine the relationship between the emotions and cognitions considered within this phenomenon.