The Role of Ability in Creative ‘incubation’

Whtle many people report interruptions from problem-solking to be beneficial for the creative process (‘incubation’). experimental demonstration of the phenomenon has been difficult. Factors that might lead to incubation effects are discussed and implemented in a study in which SO university students solved u-ord-association problems under continuous work or interrupted condttions. The interruptions involved work on other problems, other problems plus periods of conversation or other problems plus work on an unrelated mental rotation task. The results showed the incubation phenomenon in one condition and, most importantly. the ability level of the Ss for the task involved determined whether incubatton would occur. High-ability Ss benefited from the interruption involving the rotations task. while low-ability Ss did not shoiv any incubation effects. Comparisons to previous studies and suggestions for future research are made throughout.