can be developed, this process normally occurs over relatively long periods of
time. By contrast, social environments influencing creativity can be changed eas-
ily and can have immediately observable effects on performance.

On a theoretical level, it is important to consider motivational variables in
analyses of the creative process. This approach can contribute to theoretical social
psychology by describing the impact of "traditional" social-psychological vari-
ables on cognitive performance, specifically creative performance. It can also con-
tribute to theories of creativity by introducing a consideration of social factors
and the motivational mechanisms by which they influence creativity.

The case for a social psychology of creativity is argued more fully in Chapter 1.
There, I review the writings of several notably creative persons who have de-
scribed the impact of social factors on their creativity. These arguments are then
considered in the context of previous empirical research. In Chapter 2, I review
existing definitions of creativity and methods for assessing creativity and, in
Chapter 3, I present the definitions and assessment techniques I have applied in
my own research. Chapter 4 outlines the theoretical framework that guides the
discussion of creativity throughout the book. (A shorter discussion of the mate-
rial in Chapters 2, 3, and 4 can be found in Amabile [ 1982b, 1983]).

Empirical research on social factors influencing creativity is presented in
Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8. Although much of the research in Chapters 5, 6, and 7 is
mine, I also include a fairly exhaustive review of the work other researchers have
done on evaluation, reward, choice, social facilitation, modeling, motivational
orientation, and other social variables that might affect creativity. In Chapter 9, I
draw practical implications from the research reviewed. In Chapter 10, I outline
future research directions for a social psychology of creativity.

This book does not exhaustively review all previous creativity research. Rather,
it reviews work on personality, testing, cognition, and creativity training that is
most relevant to a social-psychological perspective on creativity. Information from
this previous work is integrated with current social-psychological research in my
attempt to lay the foundation for a comprehensive social psychology of creativity.
This book is clearly not a complete statement. It is, instead, a description of the cur-
rent state of the art and an outline of what a comprehensive model might be.

The research reported in this book was supported by a Young Scholars grant
from the Foundation for Child Development, a series of Biomedical Research
Support Grants from the National Institutes of Health, and a predoctoral fellow-
ship from the National Institute of Mental Health. A grant from the Mazer Family
Fund at Brandeis University was invaluable in the preparation of this manuscript.
All of this support is gratefully acknowledged.

Several institutions generously allowed me and my students to conduct one or
more of these studies within their walls: St. Jude's School in Waltham,
Massachusetts, St. Clements's School in Somerville, Massachusetts, the Charles E.
Cashman School in Amesbury, Massachusetts, the Lemberg Day Care Center at

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