The correlation between architecture students’ ambiguity tolerance and their creativity: negative capability inside the design studio
Abstract
This research aims at shedding light on one of the needed skills inside the architectural design studio; that is, tolerance of ambiguity. Since design problems are characterized by complexity, unfamiliarity, and ambiguity; design process is described as a process where ambiguity is progressively resolved. Design process engenders negative feelings especially during experiencing states of not knowing and being stuck. However, most of architecture students, who are new to design process, find states of uncertainty and confusion threatening, annoying, and unnerving. Hence, the ability to navigate these negative feelings and work efficiently is important in creative design thinking. This skill is linked to a philosophical notion called negative capability; which means to have the ability to work amidst uncertainty despite the negative associations. Therefore, the researcher attempts to demonstrate the significance of negative capability, i.e. ambiguity tolerance, to students’ design performance via revealing its influence on their creativity and design behavior. The researcher aims at exploring the relation between architecture students’ attitudes towards ambiguity and their creativity via qualitative study. By recruiting 237 architecture students and assessing their ambiguity tolerance and creative thinking, the analysis revealed a significant correlation between the two variables.
Keyword : architecture students, creativity, design studio, design thinking, negative capability, tolerance of ambiguity
How to Cite
Mahmoud, N. E., Kamel, S. M., & Hamza, T. S. (2023). The correlation between architecture students’ ambiguity tolerance and their creativity: negative capability inside the design studio. Creativity Studies, 16(2), 479–495. https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2023.17461
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Torrance, E. P. (1966). Torrance tests of creative thinking: Norms-technical manual. Research edition. Verbal tests, Forms A and B. Figural tests, Forms A and B. Personnel Press.
Yerushalmi, H. (2019). Negative capability, heuristics and supervision. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 35(2), 290–304. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjp.12458
Yoon, S.-Y., & D’Souza, N. (2010, 18–22, October). Different visual cognitive styles, different problem-solving styles? In IASDR 2009 Proceedings: International Association of Societies of Design Research 2009 (pp. 2341–2352). Seoul, South Korea. International Association of Societies of Design Research Office/Korea Society of Design Science.
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Alhashim, A. G., Marshall, M., Hartog, T., Jonczyk, R., Dickson, D., Hell, van J., Okudan-Kremer, G., & Siddique, Z. (2020, 22–26 June). Work in progress: Assessing creativity of alternative uses task responses: A detailed procedure. In 2020 American Society for Engineering Education Virtual Annual Conference. ASEE Peer. https://peer.asee.org/work-in-progress-assessing-creativity-of-alternative-uses-task-responses-a-detailed-procedure
Arquero, J. L., & Tejero, C. (2009). Ambiguity tolerance levels in Spanish accounting students: A comparative study. Revista de Contabilidad, 12(1), 95–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1138-4891(09)70003-2
Brophy, D. R. (2001). Comparing the attributes, activities, and performance of divergent, convergent, and combination thinkers. Creativity Research Journal, 13(3–4), 439–455. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326934CRJ1334_20
Budner, N. Y. S. (1962). Intolerance of ambiguity as a personality variable. Journal of Personality, 30(1), 29–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1962.tb02303.x
Canter, R. (2016). Students’ experience of challenge, difficulty and stuckness in higher education: A qualitative longitudinal study [PhD/Doctoral Thesis, University of Exeter, United Kingdom]. https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10871/24781/CanterR.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Carabine, J. (2013). Creativity, art and learning: A psycho-social exploration of uncertainty. The International Journal of Art and Design Education, 32(1), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.2013.01745.x
Cash, Ph., & Kreye, M. (2017). Uncertainty Driven Action (UDA) model: A foundation for unifying perspectives on design activity. Design Science: An International Journal, 3. https://doi.org/10.1017/dsj.2017.28
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper Perennial/Modern Classics.
Daalhuizen, J., Badke-Schaub, P., & Batill, S. M. (2009, 24–27 August). Dealing with uncertainty in design practice: Issues for designer-centered methodology. In International Conferences on Engineering Design. DS 58-9: Proceedings of International Conference on Engineering Design 09 (Vol. 9, pp. 147–158). N. Bergendahl, M. Grimheden, L. Leifer, P. Skogstad, & U. Lindemann (Eds.). Palo Alto, California, United States. The Design Society.
Fields, J. (2011). Uncertainty: Turning fear and doubt into fuel for brilliance. Portfolio/Penguin.
Herman, J. L., Stevens, M. J., Bird, A., Mendenhall, M., & Oddou, G. (2010). The tolerance for ambiguity scale: Towards a more refined measure for international management research. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34(1), 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2009.09.004
Frenkel-Brunswik, E. (1949). Intolerance of ambiguity as an emotional and perceptual personality variable. Journal of Personality, 18(1), 108–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1949.tb01236.x
Hillen, M. A., Gutheil, C. M., Strout, T. D., Smets, E. M. A., & Han, P. K. J. (2017). Tolerance of uncertainty: Conceptual analysis, integrative model, and implications for healthcare. Social Science and Medicine, 180, 62–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.03.024
Keats, J. (1818). A letter to the brothers [unpublished source].
Küpers, W., & Gunnlaugson, O. (Eds.). (2017). The practical wisdom in leadership and organization series. Wisdom learning: Perspectives on wising-up business and management education. W. Küpers & D. Pauleen (Series Eds.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315547039
Lawson, B. (2005). How designers think: The design process demystified. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080454979
Ledewitz, S. (1985). Models of design in studio teaching. Journal of Architectural Education, 38(2), 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10464883.1985.10758354
Leggett, A. (2011). Constructs, variables, and operationalization. Course Hero. https://www.coursehero.com/file/43349172/7-5-constructs-variables-and-operationalizationpdf/
Litchfield, S. (2016). Negative capability in design studio. Charette, (4). https://works.bepress.com/sandy_litchfield/3/
Mahmoud, N. E., Kamel, Sh. M., & Hamza, T. S. (2020). The relationship between tolerance of ambiguity and creativity in architectural design studio. Creativity Studies, 13(1), 179–198. https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2020.9628
Merrotsy, P. (2013). Tolerance of ambiguity: A trait of the creative personality? Creativity Research Journal, 25(2), 232–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2013.783762
Osmond, J., & Turner, A. (2010). The threshold concept journey: From identification to application. In J. H. F. Meyer, R. Land, & C. Baillie (Eds), Educational futures: Rethinking theory and practice. Threshold concepts and transformational learning (pp. 347–364). Sense Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789460912078_022
Ou, L. (2009). Continuum literary studies. Keats and negative capability. Continuum International Publishing Group.
Robinson, J. J. (2019). Mindfulness, tolerance of ambiguity, and attitudes toward interracial relationships [PhD/Doctoral Thesis, Alliant International University, United States]. https://www.proquest.com/openview/cea0e511e59c14b2756fa353faac720a/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Salama, A. A., & Wilkinson, N. (Eds.). (2007). Design studio pedagogy: Horizons for the future. The Urban International Press.
Schön, D. A. (1985). The design studio: An exploration of its traditions and potential. RIBA Publications for RIBA Building Industry Trust.
Schrader, S., Riggs, W. M., & Smith, R. P. (1993). Choice over uncertainty and ambiguity in technical problem solving. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 10(1–2), 73–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/0923-4748(93)90059-R
Simpson, P., French, R., & Harvey, Ch. (2002). Leadership and negative capability. Human Relations, 55(10), 1209–1226. https://doi.org/10.1177/a028081
Stein, M. I. (1953). Creativity and culture. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 36(2), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1953.9712897
Taura, T., & Nagai, Y. (Eds.). (2011). Design creativity 2010. Springer-Verlag London Limited. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-224-7
Toh, Ch., & Miller, S. R. (2019). Does the preferences for creativity scale predict engineering students’ ability to generate and select creative design alternatives? Journal of Mechanical Design, 141(6). https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4042154
Torrance, E. P. (1966). Torrance tests of creative thinking: Norms-technical manual. Research edition. Verbal tests, Forms A and B. Figural tests, Forms A and B. Personnel Press.
Yerushalmi, H. (2019). Negative capability, heuristics and supervision. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 35(2), 290–304. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjp.12458
Yoon, S.-Y., & D’Souza, N. (2010, 18–22, October). Different visual cognitive styles, different problem-solving styles? In IASDR 2009 Proceedings: International Association of Societies of Design Research 2009 (pp. 2341–2352). Seoul, South Korea. International Association of Societies of Design Research Office/Korea Society of Design Science.
Zenasni, F., Besançon, M., & Lubart, T. (2008). Creativity and tolerance of ambiguity: An empirical study. Journal of Creative Behavior, 42(1), 61–73. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.2008.tb01080.x