Category Archives: Creativity Research

Cracking Psychology: Understanding the appeal of cryptic crosswords #3 – Anagrams

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It’s a common experience – you have a blank grid in front of you, 1A isn’t helping, and there’s no obvious way to get going. Maybe you, too, scan the list of clues hoping for an anagram clue or two? In the third part of our ‘explainer’ series, Kathryn Friedlander takes a look at the psychology behind this popular clue form.

Please do give us feedback about our research afterwards by taking this brief survey: we’d really appreciate your help to establish what the impact of our research has been.

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Cracking Psychology: Understanding the appeal of cryptic crosswords #2 – Rebus-type clues (‘Say what you see’)

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In this second part of a series unpacking the psychology behind cryptic crossword solving, Kathryn Friedlander explores the connection between cryptic clues and the ‘rebus’ or ‘word-picture’ puzzle form.

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Cracking Psychology: Understanding the appeal of cryptic crosswords #1 – Puns and misdirection

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Nearly all of us enjoy a good joke now and again, but those who do cryptic crosswords seem particularly attracted to verbal humour. In the first of a series unpacking the psychology behind cryptic crossword solving, Kathryn Friedlander explores the many links between puns, verbal ambiguity, misdirection and the solving of cryptic crossword clues.

Please do give us feedback about our research afterwards by taking the brief survey linked to at the foot of the page.

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Thinking flexibly is key to cryptic crossword solving

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When it comes to thinking about cryptic crossword solvers, what kind of image springs to mind? Maybe Chief Inspector Morse, a vicar, or a bowler-hatted Civil Servant? But would you be right…? Kathryn Friedlander shares new research lifting the lid on the mind of the cryptic solver – and finds that they are an academically able group, tending towards science, with fantastically flexible problem-solving abilities.

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Let’s Be Creative: What’s new in creativity research?

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Philip Fine tells us about a newly published eBook looking at novel ways of researching creativity.

Frontiers

Though creativity has many definitions, it essentially describes behaviours which lead to novel and meaningful products and outcomes. We can observe creativity in all domains of human behaviour, thought and experience, including creative cognition and problem-solving (divergent thinking and insight), artistic performance (music, dance) and creative design and production (art, design, fashion).

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The State of the Creative Art: What’s new in creativity research?

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Philip Fine tells us about a new collection of articles looking at novel ways of researching creativity.

Frontiers

What is creativity? Why are some people more creative than others? What do we know about the creative process? How do people decide whether one product is more creative than another? 

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New MSc by Research – Psychology of Creativity and Performance Expertise

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We’re excited to announce that we are offering a new MSc by Research in the Psychology of Creativity and Performance Expertise, here at the University of Buckingham, with entry dates in September and January each year. This MSc is ideal for those with a first degree in Psychology who wish to take their knowledge further in this exciting field. Students can be full- or part-time.

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