Many researchers have explored the factors influencing creativity through meta-analytic methods. However, most studies have focused on positive or neutral factors, such as self-esteem, organizational trust, and leadership styles, while largely neglecting negative ones. Social exclusion, as a pervasive and threatening stimulus, has been the subject of debate regarding its potential effects on creativity, yet it lacks systematic reviews and analyses. In real-life interpersonal interactions, negative experiences can influence creativity in complex and diverse ways through changes in emotional states, cognitive resource allocation, and motivational systems. Some researchers argue that social exclusion depletes cognitive resources, slows cognitive processing, and reduces cognitive fluency, thereby inhibiting creativity. Others suggest that the negative experience of social exclusion may stimulate individuals' creative motivation, enhancing creativity. This study aims to integrate existing empirical findings on the relationship between social exclusion and creativity using meta-analytic methods, with particular attention to moderating variables such as participant characteristics, cultural contexts, and research methodologies.
Through a comprehensive literature search, 56 studies (70 independent effect sizes, 22,781 participants) meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. A random-effects model was employed to conduct the meta-analysis using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 software to test the proposed hypotheses. The heterogeneity test revealed significant variability among the 70 independent effect sizes, confirming the appropriateness of using a random-effects model for the subsequent analysis. Furthermore, assessments using the Funnel Plot, Classical fail-safe indicator, and Egger’s regression test of the intercept indicated no significant publication bias.
The main effect analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between social exclusion and creativity (r = −0.19, 95% CI [−0.25, −0.12]). This result supports the threat-rigidity theory, which posits that social exclusion, as a threatening stimulus, consumes cognitive resources, impairing an individual's ability to suppress irrelevant information and switch flexibly between different pieces of information. This not only hinders the individual's ability to focus attention on useful information during the initial search phase, but also limits their ability to make flexible cognitive shifts during the restructuring phase, leading to a state of cognitive rigidity and difficulty in generating creative ideas.
Subgroup analysis and meta-regression further revealed that this relationship was moderated by participants' age and the measurement tools used for assessing social exclusion and creativity, but not by the type of social exclusion (social rejection vs. social ignorance), participants' gender, or cultural background. Specifically, the findings indicated that the negative correlation between social exclusion and creativity weakens as participants’ age increases. This result may be related to individuals' decreasing sensitivity to negative social situations and their growing coping experience. The frequency of reported experiences of exclusion is negatively correlated with age, reflecting a decreased sensitivity to negative stimuli in older individuals. Furthermore, with increased life experience, older individuals tend to be more adept at using effective emotional regulation strategies and social support systems to mitigate the negative effects of social exclusion. When measured using quantitative questionnaires, social exclusion significantly inhibits individual creativity, whereas social exclusion induced through experimental paradigms is associated with enhanced creativity. Experimental priming paradigms typically provoke temporary experiences of exclusion, and this short-term stressful environment may help stimulate an individual's creative motivation, enhancing creative performance. In contrast, social exclusion measured through questionnaires is often associated with chronic stress and negative emotions, which can lead to the depletion of cognitive resources, thereby suppressing creative motivation and behavior. Regarding creativity measurement, social exclusion was found to significantly diminish individuals’ latent creative potential and observable creative behaviors, while leaving their cognitive abilities related to creative thinking unaffected. This may be related to the counteracting effects of social exclusion on different types of creative thinking. Divergent thinking and convergent thinking are two of the most typical forms of creativity. Social exclusion tends to trigger negative emotional reactions and thinking patterns, thereby impairing performance on divergent thinking tasks. However, the relationship between social exclusion and convergent thinking may be positively correlated. When individuals experience social exclusion, they may actively search for and integrate information related to their connection with the group to assess whether there is a chance for re-acceptance, a thought process similar to convergent thinking. Therefore, the negative impact of social exclusion on divergent thinking and its potential positive effect on convergent thinking may counterbalance each other, resulting in an overall insignificant effect.
This meta-analysis holds both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, it addresses the ongoing debate regarding the relationship between social exclusion and creativity. The findings support the Threat-Rigidity Theory, which suggests that social exclusion, as a threatening stimulus, depletes cognitive resources. This depletion diminishes individuals' ability to suppress irrelevant information and flexibly shift between concepts, leading to a rigid cognitive state that hinders creative idea generation. Practically, the study highlights the importance of providing positive feedback and encouragement, particularly to minors and individuals experiencing prolonged social exclusion, to mitigate its negative effects and foster a more supportive environment for creativity.
