Investigating the simple and multiple linear relationship between ambiguity tolerance, psychological flexibility and thinking styles with cognitive and emotional creativity

The aim of this study was to investigate the simple and multiple relationship between ambiguity tolerance, cognitive flexibility and thinking styles with cognitive and emotional creativity.

The research method was descriptive-correlational and was performed on 163 married people over 18 years old living in Zanjan in the first quarter of 1400. Data were collected through the Dennis and Vanderwal’s cognitive flexibility(2010), Sternberg-Wagner’s thinking Styles(Legislative, Judging, and Executive) (1992), McLain’s Type II Ambiguity Tolerance (2009), Averill’s emotional creativity (1991) and Abedi’s cognitive creativity (1993) questionnaires. linear relationship analysis were performed using Pearson correlation method. Also, in order to investigate the contribution of each of the predictor variables, the stepwise regression method in SPSS26 software was used.

The results indicated a positive and significant linear relationship between cognitive flexibility, three thinking styles and the ability to tolerate ambiguity with cognitive and emotional creativity(p<0.05). In addition, the stepwise regression analysis findings showed that the contribution of cognitive flexibility, ambiguity tolerance, and executive thinking style is greater in predicting cognitive creativity(36.3%). Also, the contribution of cognitive flexibility, legislator thinking style and ambiguity tolerance is greater in predicting emotional creativity(16.8%).

According to the research findings, it can be concluded that providing training in improving the ability to tolerate ambiguity, cognitive flexibility and fostering legislative and executive thinking styles among married people as well as people who are about to get married or even divorce, can help improve living conditions, resolve disputes, and successfully overcome challenges by increasing cognitive and emotional creativity.