Psychological Setting       There is also a role that psychology plays with regard to the creative environment.  We have already seen, after looking at the physical and social settings, that how a person perceives the physical environment will affect his or her mindset, and thus his or her creativity.  The way in which a person perceives others in the social environment will affect the social interaction, and thus a person's creativity.  Perception is critical to whether or not a person exhibits creativity.  For example, it has been found that brainstorming sessions in a department of a company usually work better when the boss of the employees is not present.  When management is present in the brainstorming environment, it is commonly the perception of the subordinates that they are being judged; that perceived judgment inhibits creativity.  It will inhibit creativity if it is perceived even if it does not actually exist.
    Stress is another psychological factor which influences one's creativity.  The environment in which a person works and lives directly affects the experienced stress.  Excessive worrying can be quite a distraction for an individual which is one reason why stress originating from one's environment effects creativity (Marschner).  Usually people are most creative when they are relaxed.  Sometimes introverted individuals may need to hold off on the high-pressure, competitive environments, while extroverts might be able to just jump into such environments right away in order to be successful with generating and implementing their creative ideas. (Csikszentmihalyi, 133)   Next Page: The Experiment