Can Engaging in Creative Work Increase Willingness to Take Risks?
The Mediating Roles of Need for Uniqueness & Self-Esteem
Duration
8 months
January 2016 - September 2019
Research Team
- Primary Researcher: Me
- SupervisorA : Dr. Veronika Krause
- Supervisor B: Dr. Chia-Jung Tsay
My Role
Primary researcher for this MSc Psychology thesis, designing study methodology, collecting data, conducting statistical analysis, and formulating insights.
Study Overview
This research explores the psychological links between creativity, personality traits, and risk-taking behavior in entrepreneurial contexts. The study employed a mediation analysis approach with 105 participants to examine how creativity influences risk-taking, both directly and through psychological mechanisms like need for uniqueness and self-esteem. Statistical analysis revealed significant pathways that help explain the psychology behind entrepreneurial behavior.
Technologies & Methods
Tools
The Challenge
Despite growing interest in entrepreneurial psychology, the relationship between creativity and risk-taking remains unclear. This research addresses a critical question: What psychological mechanisms connect creativity to risk-taking behavior?
Common Assumptions
- Creative people naturally take more risks
- Creativity directly leads to entrepreneurial behavior
- Self-esteem is the primary driver of risk-taking
Research Questions
- What mediating psychological mechanisms connect creativity to risk-taking?
- Does the need for uniqueness explain this relationship?
- How does self-esteem influence entrepreneurial risk-taking?
1Research Motivation
While creativity has been linked to entrepreneurial behavior, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. This research aimed to identify the specific pathways connecting creativity to risk-taking behavior.
2Core Hypothesis
The study hypothesized that creativity's influence on risk-taking is mediated by personality factors, particularly the need for uniqueness and self-esteem, which may explain the psychological mechanisms driving entrepreneurial behavior.
Research Questions
Exploring fundamental questions about creativity and risk-taking behavior
Key Research Questions
1Primary Research
How does creativity influence risk-taking?
- Causal relationship
- Effect size and significance
2Mediating Factors
What connects creativity and risk-taking?
- Need for uniqueness
- Self-esteem as mediator
3Entrepreneurial Implications
How can findings inform education?
- Training program development
- Practical applications
4Risk Perception
How do creatives perceive risks?
- Risk perception differences
- Decision-making processes
Central Research Question
Do psychological constructs like the need for uniqueness and self-esteem explain how creativity influences risk-taking behavior?
This explores the "why" and "how" behind the relationship, offering deeper insights for both theory and practice.
Research Methods
A rigorous experimental approach to exploring the psychology of creativity and risk-taking
Experimental Design
Two randomized controlled studies
Two separate experiments with random assignment to creative vs. practical task conditions, with each study using different creativity manipulations to ensure robustness of findings.
Total sample of 536 participants across two studies (Study 1: n=233, Study 2: n=303)
Mediation Analysis
Baron & Kenny framework with bootstrapping
Applied formal statistical mediation analysis to test whether need for uniqueness and self-esteem mediate the relationship between creativity and risk-taking behavior.
Used PROCESS macro for SPSS with 5,000 bootstrap samples for confidence intervals
Psychometric Measures
Validated assessment instruments
Employed established psychological scales to measure creativity, need for uniqueness, self-esteem, and risk-taking propensity.
Used CNFU-S for uniqueness, Rosenberg for self-esteem, and domain-specific risk scales
Creativity Tasks
Task-based experimental manipulation
Participants were randomly assigned to either creative idea generation tasks or practical problem-solving tasks to manipulate their creative mindset.
Manipulation checks confirmed significant differences in creative thinking between conditions
Research Process
From experimental design to academic insights: our systematic approach to creativity and risk-taking
Literature Review
Study Design
Data Collection
Statistical Analysis
Report & Publication
Literature Review
Conducted comprehensive analysis of existing research on creativity and risk-taking, identifying key research gaps.
Study Design
Created experimental protocols to test the causal relationship between creativity tasks and risk-taking behavior.
Data Collection
Recruited participants through Amazon MTurk and administered experimental conditions with control measures.
Statistical Analysis
Applied mediation analysis and regression techniques to test hypothesized relationships between variables.
Report & Publication
Compiled findings into a Masters thesis and prepared results for potential academic publication.
Key Findings & Insights
Statistical evidence on the relationship between creativity, personality traits, and risk-taking behavior
Study 1: Creativity Increases Risk-Taking
Independent t-test showed the Creative group (M=5.18) had significantly higher Willingness to Take Risks than the Practical group (M=4.78) with p<.01, demonstrating that engaging in creative work directly increases risk propensity.
Study 2: Results Replicated
Creative group (M=4.89) again showed higher Willingness to Take Risks than Practical group (M=4.63) with p<.05, confirming the primary finding with an alternate creativity manipulation task.
Need for Uniqueness Mediation
Need for Uniqueness did not mediate the relationship between creativity and risk-taking. While NFU predicted risk-taking (B = 0.205, p < 0.05), the pathway from creativity to NFU was not significant.
Self-Esteem Mediation
Self-Esteem did not mediate the creativity-risk relationship. Though Self-Esteem predicted risk-taking (B = 0.196, p < 0.05), the pathway from creativity to Self-Esteem was not significant.
Impact & Outcomes
How our research influences psychological theory and entrepreneurial education
📊Research Metrics
- Study 1: +0.40 effect size difference in WTR (Cohen's d .35 approx)
- Study 2: +0.26 effect size difference in WTR (Cohen's d .24 approx)
- No significant differences in demographic variables between conditions
🚀Business Implications
- Creativity tasks foster risk-taking mindsets among participants
- Need for uniqueness / self-esteem not strongly shaping that shift
- Potential strategy: short creative breaks or "creative priming" sessions in workplaces
Career Impact & Further Research
The project's innovative approach and significant findings led to a research assistant position at the UCL School of Management, where I continued exploring risk-taking behavior in organizational contexts.
Follow-up Studies
- Whether group-based creativity exercises produce similar effects
- Individual differences in the creativity-risk relationship
- Whether the effect persists in high-stakes decision scenarios
Broader Contributions
The research contributed to a growing body of work on fostering innovation cultures where calculated risk-taking is encouraged rather than punished. This provides valuable insights for organizational psychology and management practices.
Mediation Model Visualizations
Statistical analysis of creativity and risk-taking relationships
Figure 1. Mediation Model
Need For Uniqueness as mediator between creativity and risk-taking
Figure 2. Mediation Model
Self-Esteem as mediator between creativity and risk-taking
UCL Psychology Research Study on Creativity & Risk
University College London, Department of Psychology
MSc Psychology Thesis: "Connecting Creativity and Risk-Taking: Psychological Mechanisms"
This experimental study examined how engaging in creative activities influences risk-taking tendencies, with implications for entrepreneurship and innovation contexts.
Visit UCL Psychology Department