How epistemic uncertainty tolerance affects creative idea generation in design
During,Sue Biskjaer,Michael Mose Abrahamse,Elger de Rooij,Alwin
During,Sue
Biskjaer,Michael Mose
Abrahamse,Elger
de Rooij,Alwin
Abstract
Creativity in collaborative design unfolds under conditions of unspecific and ambiguous information. While such epistemic uncertainty is inherent to many design projects, its impact on creativity is underexplored. This study investigated how epistemic uncertainty induced through problem briefings affects creativity during idea generation, and how tolerance for epistemic uncertainty moderates this relationship. A between-subjects experiment with 67 student participants collaborating in 18 groups tested idea generation under high versus low epistemic uncertainty conditions. The results showed a dual pathway effect: high epistemic uncertainty, compared to low epistemic uncertainty, increased idea originality, but decreased idea usefulness. Average group tolerance for uncertainty did not significantly moderate this relationship. Instead, a tolerant-anchor effect emerged: having at least one highly tolerant individual in a group supports idea usefulness under uncertain conditions. The findings contribute new insight into the complex ways in which epistemic uncertainty shapes creativity in collaborative design.
Description
Date
2026-03-11
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
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Journal Issue
Keywords
Collaborative design, Epistemic uncertainty, Creativity, Idea generation, Uncertainty tolerance
Citation
During, S, Biskjaer, M M, Abrahamse, E & de Rooij, A 2026, 'How epistemic uncertainty tolerance affects creative idea generation in design', Paper presented at Design Research Society Conference 2026, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 8/06/26 - 12/06/26.
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess