The Effects of Board Games on Creative Potential

• Published in: The Journal of creative behavior Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 875 - 885
• Main Authors: Mercier, Maxence, Lubart, Todd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 01.09.2021
• Subjects: Creative Development; Creative Thinking; Creativity; Game Based Learning; Games; Instructional Effectiveness; Thinking Skills
• DOI: 10.1002/jocb.494
• ISSN: 0022-0175

The current study aimed to investigate whether board games could be used to improve creative potential. Games have proven to be effective learning tools, and some studies have indicated positive links between creativity and other types of games, namely video games and role-playing games. However, less is known regarding board games' potential benefits on creativity. This exploratory study compared two types of board games: creative and non-creative board games. We used a within-subject repeated-measurement design, in which participants played to both types of games, across two sessions separated by one week. We assessed creative potential with a divergent thinking task, using fluency and originality as indicators. We controlled for openness, mood states, and enjoyment. Results suggest an improvement of originality after playing both types of games, whereas no differences were observed for fluency. Considering the base level of participants, we found improvement for low-performing participants specifically, in both fluency and originality, although analyses' limited statistical power may have impacted the findings. These findings provide a first step in the study of creativity and board games and suggest they could help temporarily improve one's divergent thinking capacity.