The relationship between creativity and stress levels in female musicians

• Main Author: Nicol, Jennifer J.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/2133

Anectodal and theoretical accounts suggest that creativity is a positive attribute that enhances coping abilities. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this contention. This study was designed as a preliminary investigation of the relationship between characteristics of creativity and perceived stress levels in female musicians. It was anticipated that higher levels of creativity would be associated with lower levels of stress. Ninety-five musicians (49 music therapists, and 46 music hobbyists) volunteered for the study. Participants met with the investigator to complete paper and pencil measures. Creativity was conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct thereby necessitating the use of multiple measures. Five measures were used to assess creativity. These measures captured the constructs of creative thinking, creative personality, creative behavior, complexity, and musical activity. Stress level was measured with a 14-itemscale that measured perceived stress. Preliminary analyses indicated that only 3 of the predictor variables correlated with stress level. Consequently, creative thinking, creative personality, and creative behavior were used to test the hypothesis in an hierarchical regression analysis. The regression equation reached significance, F(7,85) = 2.86, p <.01, and accounted for 19% of the variance in stress level. Creative behavior was a main effect that demonstrated a positive relationship with stress level. However, this main effect disappeared when interactions were studied. Group differences emerged whereby the interaction effect of group by creative thinking was the only significant predictor of stress level. Plotting the interaction effect revealed that there was a negative relationship between creative thinking and stress level for music hobbyists; that is, lower stress levels were associated with higher levels of creative thinking. This was not true of the music therapists. Music therapists manifested a weak positive relationship between creative thinking and stress level. Creative thinking clearly buffered stress levels for music hobbyists. For music therapists, there was little or no relationship between the variables. The findings implicate creative thinking as a possible personal resource in the stress-coping process for adult female music hobbyists. Recommendations are made for future research that will help to clarify this relationship. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate