Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/100231
Sharon Kim Rach e l Ph i li pson Although most people go out of their way to avoid social rejection, standing apart from the crowd actually has positive effects on some people���s imagination and creativity, say researchers from Johns Hopkins University���s Carey Business School in Baltimore, Maryland, and Cornell University���s School of Industrial and Labor Relations in Ithaca, New York. ���For people who already feel separate from the crowd, social rejection can be a form of validation,��� says lead author Sharon Kim of Johns Hopkins. ���Rejection confirms for independent people what they already feel about themselves���that they���re not like others. For such people, that distinction is a positive one leading them to greater creativity.��� Social rejection has the opposite effect on people who value belonging to a group, inhibiting their cognitive ability. Kim authored the study with Lynne Vincent and Jack Goncalo, both of Cornell. They looked specifically at those described as possessing an ���independent self-concept.��� In the study, the authors define self-concept as something that can ���shape responses to rejection because independent selves are motivated.��� Jack Goncalo Rach e l Ph i li pson J usti n Lewis/G etty I mag es Social Rejection���s Upside: Creativity Lynne Vincent In one experiment, some individuals were told they would not be selected to participate in a group activity and would have to complete tasks on their own. Others were told they could rejoin the group after completing a certain number of tasks. Afterward, individuals from both scenarios were asked to complete a set of puzzles requiring creative solutions. The researchers found that participants who demonstrated an independent self-concept and were not allowed to rejoin their groups solved the puzzles more easily than others. This study could have practical implications for business, Kim says. Imaginative thinkers can be quirky���some managers might choose not to hire those whose unconventional personalities might set them apart from co-workers. But if those individuals also exhibit an independent outlook, their inventiveness could become a valuable asset to an organization. ���Outside Advantage: Can Social Rejection Fuel Creative Thought?��� was published online by the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, and also is available at digitalcommons. ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article= 1622&context=articles. BizEd January/February 2013 61