Train Like a Creative. Think Like a Scientist.
Creativity isn’t a gift– it’s a skill that can be cultivated.
The myth of creativity being a divine endowment is dead.
The truth? Creativity is trainable, repeatable, and scalable. And yes—scientifically supported. You can build your creative muscles just like any other skill, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Powerful AI tools, like the Playstorming App
A landmark study from Puccio et al. at Buffalo State University tested to see if the effects of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) training improved idea generation, group creativity, and leadership performance. For those of you new to creativity science, the CPS is a structured, research-backed method for generating and selecting innovative ideas. It typically involves two key phases:
Divergent thinking (generating lots of ideas without judgment)
Convergent thinking (narrowing down ideas with intention)
Fun fact alert: CPS (Creative Problem Solving) was developed by Alex Osborn, who also pioneered brainstorming and contributed to BBDO. This method serves as a crucial foundation for Playstorming, enabling organizations to enhance both the quantity and quality of ideas generated.
Researchers gave 559 participants in 114 groups real-world prompts, like:
“Come up with as many innovative ideas as possible for a product that saves time during a daily commute.”
Groups were divided into three buckets:
No CPS training
Basic CPS training
Advanced CPS training
Some had trained leaders. Others were self-guided. Everyone completed the same creative challenges. The researchers measured:
Fluency (number of ideas)
Originality (uniqueness of ideas)
Flexibility (variety of ideas)
Final solution creativity and practicality
Leadership effectiveness and group experience
The Results
Groups with any CPS training produced 4x more ideas
Advanced training = more original + practical outcomes
Trained leaders led stronger group discussions and creative breakthroughs
Even groups without prior training saw gains just by using the CPS framework
But Most Surprising of All…
Participants with CPS training enjoyed the process more. (This is also what we at Playstorming found when we conducted our AI Creativity in Advertising Study– check it out here!)
Untrained folks often felt unsure—like “all ideas weren’t okay.”
Trained participants knew: generation without judgment is the key.
Back to You
Your best ideas are waiting. Book a demo to see how the Playstorm app uses CPS to unlock smarter thinking in less (and more enjoyable!) time.
Don’t stress–flex!
~The Playstorming Lab
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
Citation:
Puccio, Gerard J., Mary C. Murdock, and Marie Mance. "Creative Problem Solving: The History, Development, and Impact of CPS." Journal of Creative Behavior 54, no. 4 (2020): 700–715. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1257066.