When in rome . . . learn why the romans do what they do: How multicultural learning experiences facilitate creativity

Research suggests that living in and adapting to foreign cultures facilitates creativity. the current research investigated whether one aspect of the adaptation process-multicultural learning-is a critical component of increased creativity. experiments 1-3 found that recalling a multicultural learning experience: (a) facilitates idea flexibility (e.g.,the ability to solve problems in multiple ways),(b) increases awareness of underlying connections and associations,and (c) helps overcome functional fixedness. importantly,experiments 2 and 3 specifically demonstrated that functional learning in a multicultural context (i.e.,learning about the underlying meaning or function of behaviors in that context) is particularly important for facilitating creativity. results showed that creativity was enhanced only when participants recalled a functional multicultural learning experience and only when participants had previously lived abroad. overall,multicultural learning appears to be an important mechanism by which foreign living experiences lead to creative enhancement. © 2010 by the society for personality and social psychology,inc.