Abstract:

Based on the social comparison theory, this paper discussed the effects of extrinsic reward social comparison on individual creativity and the intermediary role of positive emotions in the relationship between them, and examined positive emotion as a mediator and locus of control as a moderator. Based on an experiment and the questionnaires of two organizations, it tested the hypotheses using different methods of creativity measurement and multiple samples. The results show that compared with the upward comparison, individuals in an extrinsic reward will have a higher creativity than those in an extrinsic reward downward social comparison. Besides, positive emotion mediates the relationship between extrinsic reward social comparison and creativity. Locus of control moderates the relationship between extrinsic reward social comparison and positive emotion, especially when the external orientation is high and the individual in downward social comparison reported is more positive than those in upward social comparison.

Key words: extrinsic reward, social comparison, positive emotion, locus of control, creativity

摘要：

研究基于社会比较理论，探讨外在激励社会比较对个体创造力的影响及积极情绪在两者关系中的中介作用，并探讨个体内外控倾向对外在激励社会比较与积极情绪和创造力关系的调节作用。基于一个实验和两家组织的问卷调查研究，采用不同的创造力测量方法和多个被试样本验证所提假设。结果显示：相比向上比较，外在激励向下比较组的个体有更高的创造力；个体积极情绪中介了外在激励社会比较对个体创造力的作用，即相比向上比较，外在激励向下比较组的个体有更高的积极情绪，从而有更高的创造力；内外控倾向与外在激励社会比较有交互作用，即对内控型的个体而言，外在激励向下比较与向上比较对积极情绪的影响无显著差异，对外控型的个体而言，外在激励向下比较组的积极情绪显著高于外在激励向上比较组。

关键词: 外在激励, 社会比较, 积极情绪, 内外控倾向, 创造力