Psychological Perspectives on Creativity and Cultural Value

Dear Colleagues,

Debates about creativity and cultural value have often foregrounded economics, policy and institutions, yet they are equally grounded in psychological and behavioural processes of meaning-making, evaluation and conflict. Empirical work on emerging contemporary artists and artist residencies shows how identities, aspirations and cross-domain collaborations shape what is recognised as valuable, and for whom (Fillis, Lee & Fraser 2015, 2023a, 2023b; Lee, Fillis & Lehman 2018). Studies of cultural value “in conflict” and of performance measured “from the inside” and “from the outside” highlight how perceptions of fairness, legitimacy and accountability influence organisational behaviour and sector narratives (Lee & Rentschler 2021; Lee, Sejas-Portillo & Fraser 2023). Behavioural research on arts philanthropy demonstrates that cognitive biases, framing and social norms structure decisions about who receives support and how generosity is expressed (Lee, Fraser & Fillis 2017).

At the same time, psychological and cultural-psychological approaches to creativity stress the importance of context, social interaction and paradox in how creativity and value are constructed (Glăveanu 2010; Hennessey & Amabile 2010; Bonetto et al. 2021).

This Special Issue, “Psychological Perspectives on Creativity and Cultural Value”, invites empirical and conceptual contributions that connect these strands. We welcome work that examines micro-level processes (cognition, affect, identity, wellbeing) and links them to meso- and macro-level structures of cultural production and evaluation, including questions of inequality, professionalisation, participation and inclusion. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies are all welcome. By bringing psychological and behavioural sciences into closer dialogue with cultural economics, arts management and cultural policy, the Special Issue aims to advance understanding of how creativity and cultural value are experienced, allocated and contested across diverse cultural contexts.

References

Bonetto, E, Pichot, N, Pavani, J-B & Adam-Troïan, J 2021, ‘The paradox of creativity’, New Ideas in Psychology, vol. 60, 100820.

Fillis, I, Lee, B & Fraser, I 2015, ‘Measuring the cultural value of the Royal Scottish Academy New Contemporaries Exhibition as a platform for emerging artists’, Cultural Trends, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 245–255.

Fillis, I, Lee, B & Fraser, I 2023a, ‘Cultural value and professionalization of emerging contemporary artists’, in MJ Wyszomirski & W Chang (eds), Professionalization in the Creative Sector: Policy, Collective Action, and Institutionalization, Routledge, UK, ch. 9, pp. 164–183.

Fillis, I, Lee, B & Fraser, I 2023b, ‘Creation and consumption experience of cultural value in contemporary art’, in Y Jung, N Vakharia & M Vecco (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Arts and Cultural Management, Oxford University Press, UK, ch. 9, pp. 1–14.

Glăveanu, VP 2010, ‘Principles for a cultural psychology of creativity’, Culture & Psychology, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 147–163.

Hennessey, BA & Amabile, TM 2010, ‘Creativity’, Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 61, pp. 569–598.

Lee, B, Fillis, I & Lehman, K 2018, ‘Art, science and organisational interactions: exploring the value of artist residencies on campus’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 85, pp. 444–451.

Lee, B, Fraser, I & Fillis, I 2017, ‘Nudging art lovers to donate’, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 837–858.

Lee, B & Rentschler, R 2021, ‘Cultural value in conflict’, in K Lehman, I Fillis & M Wickham (eds), Exploring Cultural Value, Emerald Publishing, pp. 51–65.

Lee, B, Sejas-Portillo, R & Fraser, I 2023, ‘Balancing Perspectives on Performance: “Measurement from the Inside” and “Measurement from the Outside”’, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 13–34.

Dr. Boram Lee
Guest Editor

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• creativity
• cultural value
• behavioural science
• judgement and decision-making
• artists and careers
• arts participation
• philanthropy and fundraising
• performance and accountability
• identity and conflict
• wellbeing and inclusion