Plurilingualism Compensates for Low Extraversion in Nurturing Creative Skills

Researchers at the HSE Laboratory for Linguistic, Intercultural, and Creative Competencies have examined the role of the Big Five personality traits in moderating the development of creativity among individuals who use multiple languages and have intercultural experiences. It has been found that acquiring multiple languages and engaging with diverse cultures can enhance an individual's creativity and compensate for some deficiencies in communicative abilities. That said, language practices are likely to foster creativity only in mentally stable individuals. The paper has been published in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.

For several years, researchers at the HSE Laboratory for Linguistic, Intercultural, and Creative Competencies have been investigating the correlation between plurilingualism and creative abilities. Their earlier findings revealed that bilingual individuals outperform those who speak only one language in tests assessing both divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking refers to the ability to generate numerous solutions to a creative task, while convergent thinking involves selecting the optimal solution from among the available options. Thus, proficiency in multiple languages fosters two fundamental aspects of creative thinking.

In a recent study, the researchers focused on the impact of the Big Five personality traits on the development of creative abilities in individuals who use multiple languages and have exposure to diverse cultures. The Big Five model of personality describes an individual based on five characteristics: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. This model gained popularity towards the end of the 20th century and is currently used in many countries globally. Questionnaires are available in various languages to assess the degree to which an individual exhibits each of the Big Five traits.

The study involved 261 participants from 15 countries, including 171 from Russia. All of them were multilingual and had experience with other cultures. The participants took a divergent thinking test, completed the Big Five questionnaire, and were assessed for foreign language proficiency, multicultural experience, and intercultural competence. Subsequently, the researchers analysed how the index of plurilingualism, intercultural competence, and intercultural experience influenced the level of divergent thinking and the extent to which each of the five personality traits mediated it. Finally, the researchers drew two conclusions, each of which, they argue, holds implications for future research and education.

 

The first pertains to the personality trait of extraversion. In the Big Five model, extraversion is characterised by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts tend to be energised and often experience positive emotions. They are likely to participate in activities that are emotionally stimulating. In social settings, they enjoy making themselves noticeable and being the centre of attention. A low level of extraversion, commonly referred to as introversion, indicates someone who is emotionally reserved and prefers solitude and independence. Introverts are characterised by a lower degree of attention to their surroundings, a preference for abstract ideas over concrete phenomena, and a greater reliance on their own resources and desires rather than external opinions. 

Several publications suggest that extraversion positively influences creative abilities, particularly in the domain of divergent thinking. The study by the HSE Laboratory for Linguistic, Intercultural and Creative Competencies has shown that engaging in plurilingual practices allows individuals with lower extraversion to attain results comparable to those attained by people with higher extraversion. In essence, in terms of nurturing creative skills, plurilingualism can compensate for the lower extraversion.

We have discovered that a combination of personality traits and linguistic and intercultural practices has the potential to alter an individual's creative thinking. Learning foreign languages and being exposed to different cultures seem to offset the absence of certain qualities in an individual. Thus, a lower extraversion may impede creativity, yet cultivating intercultural competence can help build creative skills.

Anatoly Kharkhurin
Director, Laboratory for Linguistic, Intercultural and Creative Competencies, HSE University

The second conclusion concerns neuroticism. Individuals with a high level of neuroticism often experience negative affective states, including fear, anxiety, sadness, depression, irritation, and anger, as well as guilt and disgust. They may be overcome by feelings of helplessness, fatigue, and an inability to cope with life's challenges. This may manifest as weak emotional control, a lack of a sense of responsibility, capricious behaviour, and a tendency to avoid reality. A low level of neuroticism indicates strong adaptability, high-stress tolerance, and emotional stability. Individuals with low levels of neuroticism are typically calm, balanced, and relaxed. In stressful situations, they tend to stay composed.

The study findings reveal that the impact of language competencies on cognitive flexibility is observed only in individuals with high stability. Still, no such connection is registered in individuals with a less stable personality. This implies that one must be emotionally stable to benefit from the impact of language practice on creativity.

The conclusions drawn from this study hold practical implications for us. Now, we better understand how to work with introverts and why some individuals may not develop creative abilities, even with exposure to multiple languages and cultures. We apply this knowledge in our PICK training, designed to foster multilingual, intercultural, and creative competencies. This training serves as the foundation for the continuing education programme offered by HSE University.

Anatoly Kharkhurin
Director, Laboratory for Linguistic, Intercultural and Creative Competencies, HSE University

IQ

December 13, 2023