Many researchers have proved the fact that creativity and dishonesty may have something in common. People are eager to cheat in order to achieve something, succeed in the chosen activities, or just follow personal demands. For example, Gino and Wiltermuth (2014) admit that creative and dishonest behaviors of people are united by the idea of breaking the rules, and those people, who cheat, are considered to be more creative than noncheaters.
In their project, the authors underline the idea that the link between these two behaviors may be explained in a variety of ways: by means of subsequent tasks, moderation, mediation, or just the feeling of breaking the rules. The desire to break the rules as soon as they are established lies deep in each person.
Some people are able to understand their needs of breaking the rules, and some people are not ready to comprehend what they can and have to do. Their creativity may be developed. Still, cheating may not be considered as one of the possible ways to be used. The relationship between dishonesty and creativity discussed in Gino and Wiltermuth’s article serve as a good basis for an individual investigation with new variables.
Creativity is usually identified as a boundary phenomenon that can help different people to succeed in leadership with the help of cheating strategies, which implies achieving goals and using imaginative ways (Ibbotson & Darso, 2008). This research proves that creativity and dishonesty may be united and approved in case it leads to positive results. In other words, it seems to be normal to use different methods in order to achieve the goals set. However, it is wrong to believe that cheating is a good partner for creativity.
Through creativity and the ability to generate new ideas in a proper way are considered to be as one of the most crucial skills of many individuals, it may be characterized by a number of unethical dilemmas and issues that put the idea of creativity and its effectiveness under a serious question (Gino & Ariely, 2012).
Gino and Ariely (2012) underline that cheating may be justified through different means in case it does not hurt anyone, and people are eager to use such kind of explanation as a good justification of their morally appropriate behavior. Hard and easy tests may be used as possible evaluating factors in order to prove that creativity and dishonesty are related, and cheating, as an independent variable, defines the level of creativity. It becomes clear that to become more creative.
People need to be motivated. Madhavi and Ramadevi (2014) explain that motivation is also one of the factors that may promote dishonesty. This is why, when the relation between creativity and dishonesty is analyzed. It is necessary to analyze two other types of relations: motivation-creativity and motivation-dishonesty. This analysis will help to comprehend how it is possible to justify cheating and use it as a powerful ground for creativity.
There are cases when people are forced to cheat, considering the surrounding environment and the circumstances (Madhavi & Ramadevi, 2014). Motivation plays an important role in such kind of relations, and it cannot be neglected.
However, it is not the only factor that may explain why people prefer dishonest behavior in order to succeed in the chosen creative process. As a result, there is a need for new additional investigations that may clearly explain the connection between creativity and dishonesty and introduce new variables that may be used for the analysis.
Statement of Hypothesis
The current paper aims at identifying new variables that may define new characteristics of the relationship between dishonesty and creativity, such as hard and easy tests and likely and unlikely cheating. Several predictions in regards to the chosen independent variables and one dependent variable, creativity, are made.
First of all, it is stated that people who cheat can be more creative than those people who do not cheat. The results of the experiment will show whether the chosen prediction may or may not be supportive.
Second, it is declared that people who take hard tests are more creative in comparison to those people who take easy tests. The main purpose of this experiment is to check the level of influence of hard and easy tests on people and their creative skills.
Finally, the prediction that the level of cheating likelihood influences creativity, regardless of the level of tests taken, is also made. The experiment should help to comprehend whether cheating and its conditions may predetermine the creativity of people with different backgrounds.
In general, the goal of the study is to prove that creativity and cheating may be united, and their connection is not equal because of the level and methods of cheating as well as the presence of some other factors may define the level of creativity (to make people more creative or not promote any kind of change). If people want to be creative and support the idea of ethical behavior, they have to know more about hard/easy tests and their impact on human skills.
Reference List
Gino, F., & Ariely, D. (2012). The dark side of creativity: Original thinkers can be more dishonest. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(3), 445-459.
Gino, F., & Wiltermuth, S.S. (2014). Evil Genius? How dishonesty can lead to greater creativity. Psychological Science, 25(4), 973-981.
Ibbotson, P., & Darso, L. (2008). Directing creativity: The art and craft of creative leadership. Journal of Management & Organization, 14, 548-559.
Madhavi, S., & Ramadevi, T. (2014). Advertising practice & creative strategy: The dark side of creativity. Global Journal of Commerce & Management Perspective, 3(5), 153-157.