Previous studies have examined the link between creativity and stereotyping, with most reports indicating that encouraging stereotype-confronting thinking can foster creativity. We hypothesized that encouraging creative thinking can also influence intergroup relations. In two experiments with adolescents, we tested whether creative imagination (N = 211) and divergent thinking (N = 317) had an impact on prejudice. We found that stimulating creative thinking elicited lower social distance toward minority groups (Experiments 1 and 2) and higher general tolerance (Experiment 2). In Experiment 2, a manipulation in which experimental stimuli were schema-consistent resulted in a decrease in prejudice; however, schema-inconsistent stimuli did not. We discuss potential implications in the context of addressing discrimination.

以前的研究已经检查了创造力和定型观念之间的联系，大多数报告表明，鼓励面对定型观念可以促进创造力。我们假设鼓励创造性思维也会影响群体间的关系。在两个针对青少年的实验中，我们测试了创造性想象力（N = 211）和发散性思维（N = 317）是否对偏见产生影响。我们发现，激发创造性思维会导致与少数群体的社会距离更短（实验1和2）和更高的总体容忍度（实验2）。在实验2中，实验刺激与图式一致的操作导致偏见的减少；但是，图式不一致的刺激却没有。我们讨论在解决歧视方面的潜在影响。