Creativity and Embodied Fluid Movements

There is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the embodiment of certain movements can stimulate creative idea formation. Embodied Creativity suggests that embodying particular movements, often fluid, free movements can improve creative thinking over the embodiment of nonfluid movements. In the first of two experiments participants were required to navigate a character through a bespoke virtual environment while (a) following a fluid, free flowing pathway, (b) a nonfluid pathway, or (c) a straight, linear pathway. Movements were performed on a flat, horizontal axial plane. Participants completed a series of Divergent thinking tasks (Torrence Test of Creative Thinking, TTCT; Torrence, 1974) and a series of Convergent thinking tasks (Remote Associations Test, RAT; Mednick, 1962).
The first experiment results suggest a contradiction with previous findings, displaying an increase in creativity scores for participants embodying both fluid and non-fluid movements when compared to the straight pathway. It was discussed that aspects of the virtual pathway design may explain the result. Though the first experiment showed support for the idea that individuals can embody movements when immersed within virtual environments. In a similar yet revised second experiment, participants embodied fluid, non-fluid and linear movements through an altered virtual pathway. The movements were performed on a variable vertical axis, participants embodied up and down fluid and non-fluid movements. The results indicated increased divergent thinking scores for those completing both a fluid pathway and a linear free moving straight pathway over a non-fluid pathway in line with previous research (Slepian & Ambady, 2012; Leung et al., 2012). Results were discussed in terms of virtual environments, axis and embodied metaphors.