Date of Award
9-2022
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Name
Creative Studies, M.S.
Department
Center for Studies in Creativity
Advisor
Dr. Gerard J. Puccio
Abstract
The FourSight theory contends that individuals exhibit a preference for the mental operations involved in creative problem solving. The four fundamental mindset preferences measured by FourSight are Clarifiers, Ideators, Developers and Implementers. Individuals can exhibit a peak preference for one, two, or three of these mindsets, or they can show an even distribution of energy across all four creative-thinking preferences. Robust and creative solutions to complex and recurrent problems are only possible if an individual or a team of individuals consciously move through the four stages of problem solving. Creative problem-solving can be taught. The ability to be creative at work confers some level of protection against job dissatisfaction. Emergency physicians as front-line workers in a high volume, high risk, problem prone and poorly resourced arena exhibit a high degree of burnout, with some studies citing a 60% burnout rate. The Maslach Burnout Inventory measures burnout along three dimensions, Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. This study empirically examined whether a relationship exists between an emergency physicians’ level of burnout and their mindset as determined by their FourSight creative-thinking preference tool. Results showed that the Clarifying problem-solving preference was a significant predictor of burnout. Indeed, this creative-thinking mindset showed a stronger relationship to burnout than years of service and hours worked per week. Conversely, the Ideator mindset was shown to promote a sense of personal accomplishment and therefore serves to mitigate burnout among physicians. Burnout among emergency physicians is a substantial problem. The findings of the present study may lead to ways in which self-awareness and training, relative to creative-thinking preferences and creative problem solving, can be leveraged to promote greater resiliency among emergency physicians.
Recommended Citation
Khan, Naghma S., "The Relationship Between Emergency Physicians’ Creative Thinking Preference and their Risk of Burnout: An Opportunity to Make a Difference" (2022). Creative Studies Graduate Student Master's Projects. 357.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/creativeprojects/357
Included in
Emergency Medicine Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons, Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons
