The use of internet language enhances creative performance

Abstract

Internet language is a creative product of the rapid development of computer-mediated communication. The present study was to investigate whether the use of Internet language enhances creative problem solving. In Study 1, sixty-two selected participants were equally divided into two groups according to their use experience of Chinese Internet language, and then both more and less experienced groups were asked to complete Chinese remote associates test and Chinese chengyu riddles. Results showed that the more experienced group performed significantly better in both the creative tasks. In Study 2, forty-six participants were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group was asked to learn Chinese Internet Language, while the control group was asked to learn scientific terminology. Two groups completed the aforementioned creative tasks in pretest and post-test. Results showed that the interaction between the group and test order was significant in Chinese chengyu riddle solving, in which the experimental group had a significantly higher average score in post-test than pretest. And there was no difference for the control group. These findings supported that Internet language use benefited creative problem solving, and it might be a convenient way in the practice of promoting creativity.

Keywords:

• Internet language
• creative problem solving
• Remote Associates Test
• Chinese chengyu riddle

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 31700956], the Open Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning (China) [Grant No. CNLZD1604], and Self-Determined Research Funds of CCNU from the Colleges’ Basic Research and Operation of MOE [Grant No. CCNU19TD019 and CCNU18ZD005]. No competing financial interests existed.