Appendix A: Instructions for the experiment 1. Introduction of the experiment
Dear Participants,
Thank you for participating in this experiment! The purpose of this experiment is to collect data for my Master thesis in Business Administration - Strategy Track, at the Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam.
Your participation in this study will take approximately 10 minutes. In this study, firstly you will be asked to generate 3 creative titles for two short stories each. Afterwards there are 7 questions about this creativity task and 8 questions related to your certain personality traits.
In answering these questions, please note that there are no right or wrong answers.
Often the best answer is the one that comes to your mind first. All information you provide will remain confidential and will not be associated with your name.
If you have any further questions concerning this study, please feel free to contact me:
jingyue.wen@student.uva.nl.
2. Two types of output constraints of expected specifications for two group of participants
2.1 For the no-expected-specification group, the instruction will be
“You are about to read two short stories on the next pages. Please read the story carefully. When you finish reading, please write down three possible creative titles that
fit the short story in the spaces provided. There’re no constraints on the titles at all,
and it is important that you try to come up with the most creative relevant titles possible.”
2.2 For the strict-expected-specification group, the instruction will be
“You are about to read two short stories on the next pages. Please read the story
carefully. When you finish reading, please write down three possible creative titles that fit the short story in the spaces provided. Note that each title that you created should meet two requirements: 1) within 5 words; 2) contains at least one color. It is important that you try to come up with the most creative relevant titles possible that meet the requirements.”
3. Please go ahead and read the short story.
“You are a tiny golden kernel of popcorn lying in the bottom of a frying pan. Look around you and see the other popcorn kernels that are snuggled up close to each other.
Feel it heating, getting warmer, hotter, now burning underneath you. Close to you a popcorn kernel explodes. One by one other popcorn kernels pop to life. White clouds appear to be bursting out all around you. The sound of popping drums in your ears.
You are cramped, uncomfortable, steaming hot, sweating, dizzy. Your whole body feels too tight. You are trapped within a too-tight suit. Suddenly, you, the popcorn kernel, feel yourself exploding, bursting. All at once you are light and fluffy. Bobbing up and down with other popcorn. At last the popping sound begins to quiet. Just an occasional pop, pop, and at last silence” (Eisenberger and Rhoades, 2001).
Q1 Please write down your three most creative titles in random order. To separate your answers in the box below, please use a comma. Example: Title 1, Title 2, Title 3.
For the strict-expected-specification group, there will an extra note:
Note that each title that you created should meet two requirements: 1) within 5 words; 2) contains at least one color.
• Title 1: _______________
• Title 2: _______________
• Title 3: _______________
Please go ahead and read the short story.
“You are outside and the sun has already set. You are walking into nighttime. Lean your head back now. Look up at the evening sky. The night grows darker, blacker, layers of black until it is the darkest evening of the year. The darkness is a black syrup filling in every crack behind the trees' branches blocking out any sign of light. You watch the black blanket of night overhead. Out of it falls a snowflake. Then another.
They twinkle and spin softly. They are very small pieces of nature's jewelry falling gently downward. One after another they come. Dusting the ground. Spreading a powder over the branches of the trees. The woods are white. A damp blanket of snow like wet flower petals covers your face” (Eisenberger and Rhoades, 2001).
Q2 Please write down your three most creative titles in random order. To separate your answers in the box below, please use a comma. Example: Title 1, Title 2, Title 3.
For the strict-expected-specification group, there will an extra note:
Note that each title that you created should meet two requirements: 1) within 5 words; 2) contains at least one color.
• Title 1: _______________
• Title 2: _______________
• Title 3: _______________
4. Please fill in the following questions related to the previous creativity task.
Q3 I enjoyed doing this task very much
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q4 This task was fun to do
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q5 I think this is a boring task
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q6 I would describe this task as very interesting
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q7 I thought this task was quite enjoyable
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q8 I was thinking about how much I enjoyed it
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q9 This task did not hold my attention at all
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
5. Below you can find 8 questions related to your certain personality traits. Please describe yourself as you generally are now, not as you wish to be in the future. Please describe yourself in an honest manner, and your responses will be kept in absolute confidence. Often the best answer is the one that comes to mind first. In addition, please try not to use the “Neutral” option too often.
Q10 I get chores done right away
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q11 I have a vivid imagination
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q12 I make a mess of things
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q13 I have difficulty understanding abstract ideas
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q14 I like order
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q15 I am not interested in abstract ideas
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q16 I often forget to put things back in their proper place
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
Q17 I do not have a good imagination
• 1. Strongly disagree (1)
• 2. Disagree (2)
• 3. Neutral (3)
• 4. Agree (4)
• 5. Strongly agree (5)
6. It is almost to the end of the experiment! Please answer these four demographic questions about yourself. Your responses will be kept in absolute confidence.
Q18 What is your gender?
• Male (1)
• Female (2)
• Non-binary/ third gender (3)
• Prefer not to say (4)
Q19 What is your age? (in years)
_________________
Q20 What is your highest level of education that you have completed?
• Less than a high school diploma (1)
• High school degree or equivalent (2)
• Associate degree (3)
• Bachelor’s degree (4)
• Master’s degree (5)
• Doctoral degree (6)
Q21 What is your work experience? (in years)
_________________
Thank you for participating in this experiment! Please note that all information will be kept confidential, and your name will not be associated with any research findings.
If you have any further questions concerning this study, please feel free to contact me: jingyue.wen@student.uva.nl.
Appendix B: Measures and Items
Items of intrinsic creative motivation (Jimmy, Tamiko, & Alice, 2010) Intrinsic motivation “I enjoyed doing this task very much”
“This task was fun to do”
“I think this is a boring task” (R) 1
“I would describe this task as very interesting”
“I thought this task was quite enjoyable”
“I was thinking about how much I enjoyed it”
“This task did not hold my attention at all” (R)1