3-17-2017

By Jo Karabasz

 

Let me get this straight: one of the complaints against ‘Political Correctness’ is that it crushes creativity?  I suppose that if what you want to create is material [of whatever sort] intended to irritate, insult, and generally cause consternation, then, yes, PC concerns might get in the way.  But if that is your aim, why do you care?

On the other hand, it has been shown that watching how you speak actually increases creativity in working groups.  There is anecdotal evidence on both sides of this – that it hurts and that it helps – but is there solid science?  Actually, there is.

In 2014 an experiment was done to test the generally accepted view that imposing PC norms on a group would stifle creativity. This study specifically examined the effect of instructing work groups to pay attention to the use of non-sexist speech.  The researchers expected to find that in an environment unconstrained in terms of language people would be more willing to suggest ideas without fear of their being rejected, whereas  if linguistic norms were imposed this freedom to express ideas would be curtailed and with it the creativity of the group as a whole. They were also interested in testing the notion that a diverse working group would perform better on tasks that required broad creativity; previous studies had indicated that gender diversity either had no effect, or even a negative effect, on creativity.  The researchers suspected that the uncertainties of interactions between men and women were getting in the way.

The study used more than 500 participants, who were divided into same-sex and mixed-sex work groups.  Some of the groups of each type were given the following statement to establish the PC norm: “One of our norms is to avoid sexist language,” while the others were given the creative task without any introduction.

Again, the prediction was that the groups that were given the PC norm would show less creativity, both because the group’s members would generate fewer ideas in the first place, and also because they would tend to withhold some of their most novel ideas out of concern about the possibility of giving offense. That is not, however, what was found.  Of the four different types of groups studied, the two equally-highest-performing cases were the same-sex groups without the PC norm and the mixed-sex groups with the PC norm.  The male/female breakdown of the groups made no difference statistically.

So what does this mean?  Simply put, it disproves the popular view that creativity in diverse groups is stifled when norms are imposed on language.  To put it another way, Political Correctness expectations do not inhibit creativity but, rather, defining behavioral norms in advance actually serves to enhance the freedom to generate both more ideas, and more wide-ranging ones, for the entire group.

Surprising, perhaps, but demonstrably true.

Let me say this straight out: when each of us knows not only how to speak so as to avoid offending but also can be assured that others are held to that same norm, we can all be more successful.

 

Reference:

Goncalo, J. A., Chatman, J. A., Duguid, M. M., & Kennedy, J. A. (2014). Creativity from constraint? How political correctness influences creativity in mixed-sex work groups. Retrieved 3-10-2017 from Cornell University, ILR School site: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/910

 

 

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