Disentangling the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Creativity: The Role of Conceptual and Experimental Creative Methods
Aldijana Bunjak, Andrew Hafenbrack, Matej Černe, Guido Bortoluzzi
Creativity and Innovation Management March 13, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/caim.70056 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Multi-study: two survey-based studies and one experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Online crowd-workers; employees from Italian and Croatian small- and medium-sized enterprises; students at a Slovenian university |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The authors report that conceptual creative methods mediate the positive relationship between mindfulness and creativity, with higher mindfulness linked to greater use of conceptual methods and, in turn, greater creativity. Experimental creative methods did not mediate this relationship, indicating that mindfulness does not enhance creativity through increased use of experimental methods. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Prior research has indicated that mindfulness has the potential to enhance individuals' functioning in many ways. However, explorations of its relationship with creativity have elicited contrasting results that remain unresolved, and the underlying processes of this relationship remain unclear. In the present research, we examine whether and how conceptual and experimental creative problem‐solving methods function as mechanisms linking mindfulness and creativity. We test our theoretical model in three studies: two survey‐based studies (the first with online crowd‐workers, the second with employees from Italian and Croatian small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises) and an experiment conducted at a Slovenian university. The results indicate that conceptual creative methods mediate the positive relationship between mindfulness and creativity, such that higher mindfulness leads to greater use of conceptual methods, which in turn enhances creativity. Experimental creative methods do not mediate this relationship, indicating that mindfulness does not enhance creativity through increased use of experimental methods. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 17
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. Emotion February 6, 2012
- Debiasing the Mind Through Meditation Psychological Science December 6, 2013
and 12 more in the library