What Drives Student Creativity? The Role of Motivation and the Value of Creative Thinking

What is it about?

This publication explores why some university students perform more creatively than others, and what psychological factors support their creativity. Creativity is often described as coming up with new and useful ideas, but it does not develop in isolation. People need the right environment to feel motivated and confident enough to think differently. Our study focuses on three basic psychological needs that are known to support healthy motivation. These needs are autonomy (feeling free to make one’s own choices), competence (feeling capable and effective), and relatedness (feeling connected to others). When these needs are met, people tend to feel more motivated from within, which is called intrinsic motivation. At the same time, we looked at how much students personally value creativity. Some students enjoy creative activities, others see creativity as important for their personal growth, and some view it as useful for their future. We examined how these values interact with students’ daily experiences at university. To investigate this, we surveyed 360 university students and asked them about their typical school day, their motivation to learn, and how much they value creative thinking. We also asked them to complete several verbal creativity tasks, such as imagining different uses for a paperclip or improving a simple toy. Our findings show that students who feel supported at university are more intrinsically motivated, and this motivation helps them appreciate the importance of creativity. Students who value creativity more highly also tend to perform better on creative tasks. Importantly, the effect of feeling supported does not directly result in being more creative. Instead, the positive effect happens through increases in motivation and in how much students value creativity. In simple terms, when students feel autonomous, capable, and connected, they become more interested in learning, more appreciative of creative thinking, and ultimately more creative in practice.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This work is important because it highlights that creativity is not only a matter of talent. It shows that creativity grows when students feel psychologically supported and when they recognise creativity as meaningful and valuable. Although previous research has often linked creativity to intrinsic motivation, very few studies have examined how the perceived value of creativity influences this relationship. Our study bridges two major theories, self determination theory and expectancy value theory, which are rarely integrated despite both offering valuable insights into human motivation. By demonstrating that the perceived value of creativity plays a crucial role alongside intrinsic motivation, this study opens new opportunities for designing educational interventions. It suggests that universities can meaningfully enhance creative performance by strengthening students’ basic psychological needs and by helping them understand why creativity matters for them personally. This makes the research timely for educators, policymakers, and institutions seeking to cultivate innovation in an era where creative skills are increasingly essential.