Pictured above: Artists at work in a studio illustrate research on creative insight. Photo: Matt Perko.
A flash of insight can motivate creative work without reliably measuring its quality.
UC Santa Barbara researchers Jacqueline McGuinness, Jonathan Schooler, Shelly Gable and Madeleine Gross examined whether the confidence accompanying an “aha!” moment predicts a good idea.
The Psychological & Brain Sciences team compared insights in problems with a verifiable answer with insights in open-ended creative work.
The findings suggest creative insights can feel more impressive than independent assessments warrant. The researchers call this effect the “aha! glow.”
That confidence may still serve a purpose: Insights were associated with greater enjoyment and motivation to continue. The study distinguishes encouraging beginnings from evidence of an idea’s eventual quality.