Are people working together inclined towards practicality? A process analysis of creative ideation in individuals and dyads

Building on a sociocultural approach to creativity, the aim of this article is to examine the creative process in individuals and dyads in relation to the originality and practicality of their ideas and its temporal dynamic. The study reported here used two divergent thinking tasks and randomly allocated 39 participants between an individual condition (13 people) and a social one (13 dyads). The analysis was done in several steps, from a more traditional aggregate-based study of the number and quality of ideas to more complex, process-based comparisons of temporal order and participant interaction. We found that, while outcome-based comparisons showed little differences between the two conditions or placed individuals ahead of dyads – an expected finding for this type of research – temporal series and especially the study of how dyads members respond to creative ideas suggested that people working together might prefer practical ideas. This preliminary evidence of a possible ‘practicality effect’, we speculate, has something to do with the fact that practical ideas are easier to communicate and validate when collaborating. As such, creativity is not necessarily hindered by working with other people but takes on a different orientation (i.e., towards the feasible). Reflections on the importance of this dimension for theory and practice are offered.