Focusing the Search for Creative Outcomes in STEM Education: The Role of Constraints

Creativity requires a series of choices: first, to engage in creative problem-solving, setting a creative outcome as the goal, and second, to either settle or continue searching for something truly creative. At each step, there is choice among the options: which creative domain and problem to select from many possibilities, and which direction among many alternatives to pursue once the creative process is underway. The paradox of choice in creativity mirrors that documented in decision-making (Schwartz 2004): less can be more, because all constraints have two related functions that work together in a complementary, ying-yang fashion: an exclusionary function that is framed by a negation (do not include X) and a focusing function that is framed by a positive and directive statement (include Y). Grounded by a recently proposed Integrated Constraints in Creativity (IConIC) model (Tromp 2023), this chapter outlines how diverse constraints can facilitate creativity, including via the development of a constraint-leveraging mindset. Practical applications to the field of STEM education highlight the value of focusing constraints for creative thinking. Although constraints have been acknowledged, both anecdotally and empirically, to boost creativity in some domains, such as creative writing, constraints may still be viewed in a negative light in STEM education. The chapter discusses practical applications of theoretical advances in the psychology of creativity to the field of education.